On the night of January 18, the ban on TikTok took hold and the app was shut down for people in the United States. There were many factors that led to the app being banned, one major concern was security issues. Though the ban only lasted for 12 hours, it felt like the longest 12 hours ever. For me personally, everytime I opened up my phone my muscle memory would click on the app even though it was not working. Screen time and usage of social media has been a hot topic especially its effect on our generation, but there is something so addicting to “doom-scrolling” through the app. The brain rot vernacular and humor obtained even if the app is a root cause of procrastination for some. Which reinforces the narrative that it was a good thing that it was banned.
There are some negatives about TikTok, but there are also so many positives. A study conducted by the Pew Research Center discovered that “Around half of TikTok users (52%) now say they regularly get news there,” and the number of adults who regularly consume news media from TikTok has quintupled from 2020 to 2024. TikTok has become a popular way for people to get information across. And even bring people with the same interest together. Senior Fernando Jaimez, shared, “I like TikTok because it helped me find other people who were interested in the same TV shows as me.”
The app also inspires creativity, and teaches people life skills with the short-form content being accessible for everyone. A popular type of video on the app is a tutorial format, which teaches people different skills, such as drawing, painting, singing, cleaning, etc. Furthermore, people have an outlet for their creativity and inspire others who might not even post on TikTok but will result in a positive impact on their community outside of an app.
Though procrastination is an issue due to TikTok. That does not necessarily mean TikTok is bad for you. Studying and working hard is great, but at the same time art and entertainment is food for the soul. When watching videos of artists showing their creation it leads people to think that they too can create magnificent pieces. Or when watching videos of strangers helping one each other inspires others to also do random acts of kindness and promote civic engagement. Which is simply, so glad those 12 dreadful hours are over.
