Tiktok is one of most used social media platforms in the world and the United States. With more than 167.5 million users in the US and 1.58 billion users worldwide, Tiktok is a key part of people’s day. The average US user spends about an hour on the app daily. On the night of January 19 the app went dark for users in the United States.
The Tiktok “drama” began in April 2024 with the Supreme Court addressing legitimate national security and privacy concerns and declaring they were looking into ways to fix these issues. President Joe Biden signed the bill requiring TikTok to be sold to a United States buyer or be banned. After many lawsuits, debates, and conspiracies over the fate of the app, it shut itself down in the United States on January 18 at 11:00 p.m. EST. The app was not available for about 12 hours before President Donald Trump promised not to enforce the ban once he came into office a day later, but stayed out of iPhone and Android app stores until February 13.
So what does all this mean? And what are people’s reactions?
I spoke to two Juniors about their thoughts on Tiktok and the ban, Taylor Dunaway and William Trentman. Both of them take the stance of “pro-tiktok”. They both agreed that they enjoyed the app as well as that the national security issues leading to the ban in the first place were not a concern for them.
Trentman said, “I like the dopamine the app provides my brain, and I like all the funny videos I see, and I like how it keeps me and my friends connected and laughing.”. Dunaway added that she enjoys “scrolling” on the app.
Though both disliked the ban and wanted to keep Tik Tok they agreed that they do waste a lot of time on the app. Dunaway stated, “It can be useful sometimes, but normally I just waste a bunch of time on Tik Tok.”
When asked why the app got banned, Trentman said, “I think it got banned because people are pretty worried about national security issues and people stealing your data, which is not a big deal in my opinion.”
The TikTok ban and its return have sparked a lot of discussion. Some people, like Taylor Dunaway and William Trentman, see the app as a fun way to connect with friends, while others worry about security and data privacy. The whole situation shows how social media can be both entertaining and concerning at the same time.
For many, the shutdown was a reminder of how much time they spend on TikTok. While the app is back for now, its future is still uncertain. The drama is not over. TikTok is set to be banned again on April 5, so we’ll have to wait and see what happens next.
