Tik Tok’s Time is Running Out

Tik Tok, a popular social media app, was banned in the United States on January 18th only to return to users' phones 24 hours later. While it was deleted, those who clicked on the app were greeted with a message that stated “a law banning Tik Tok has been enacted.” For those who kept the app, they were able to reopen it after the ban passed, but those who deleted the app were unable to. 

President  Biden implemented the Tik Tok ban prior to the end of his term due to concerns regarding links with the Chinese government. When President Donald Trump took office, he temporarily suspended the app’s services for 75 days in the US. While he did his best to bring back Tik Tok, those who deleted the app or never had it on their phones in the first place are unable to download it in the app store.  

Students worry that after these 75 days, the app will go away completely. Sophomore Lucy Sleime expressed her concerns with the ban. Although she knows the app can be distracting and “take up the majority of people's lives,” she worries about those who have made their living on the app.

Similarly, junior Jane Dunlap worries that losing Tik Tok will result in lots of influencers losing what is essentially their jobs. She acknowledges that Tiktok is addictive but believes that “there [are] a lot of valuable things to learn” on the app. 

Along with Jane and Lucy, students like sophomore Afton Williams switched to Instagram reels. Even if it wasn’t their typical app, it still had the luring effect that one could doom scroll. However, Afton mentioned that Instagram “did not provide the same source of entertainment” as Tik Tok had. She felt confident that “big dog Trump would restore the app.” 

Students did not know how to react when the app was banned. Some of them, like Lucy, immediately started crying. Although people anticipated the ban, when it finally took place it seemed that nobody was ready. Jane mentioned that she “was so sad that [she] didn’t know what to do with [herself]”. 

It seems most students did not delete the app even though it was banned. Afton and Jane both believed that it would come back, both mentioning that they “never once debated deleting the app.” Afton admitted that it never crossed her mind because of her strange addiction to the app.

While some students worry about the potential loss of Tik Tok, others see a positive side to the ban. They acknowledge that the app is addicting and highly distracting, and during the 24 hour ban, most admit that they were much more productive, getting more homework done than usual. 

Although students have differing opinions on whether a permanent ban is good or not, it is clear that the app has absorbed the lives of hundreds of students at Charlotte Catholic. Social media, while a good way to socialize and connect with others, has consumed society. 

In 2023, studies from the Addiction Center were able to conclude that Tik Tok is the most addictive social media platform online, with most users spending on average 102 minutes daily. Tik Tok steals vital time from normal daily activities. While some may not want the ban, it may be what is best for the country.