TikTok, the time-ticking app that temporarily stopped.
TikTok is a social media app filled with entertainment and millions of videos for users to scroll through and enjoy. It allows users to watch, create and share a variety of content online such as dancing, singing, comedy and lip-syncing. The TikTok Ban was controversial as it was only banned in the U.S., other countries could use it like Europe, Australia and Japan, etc. TikTok was banned in the U.S because the American Government fears a communist country’s government spying on and influencing America via data harvested from American citizen TikTok users. TikTok is owned by a Chinese company instead of a U.S buyer leaving the app banned until a negotiation can be drawn.
News of the ban spread fast and globally. Many American citizens were confused about the quickness of the ban lift but saw other positive results because of it. James Haveman is a chemistry teacher here at Northview high school who did not have TikTok during the ban because he deleted it right before.
“I heard about it prior and just thought that it would never get banned, but then it did get banned,” Haveman said “I didn’t feel so bad just because I noticed how much extra time I had by not using it.”
The app became a way to message with family and friends far from home with just the click of a button.
“Both of my boys are in college and we would send TikToks to each other all the time like in a family group chat,” Haveman said.
Those who deleted the platform are now seeing some benefits in it after being consumed by the app.
“Now that I have been without it for like two weeks, I’m fine without having it. Even my oldest son who’s in college says he wasted too much time on that,” Haveman said. “He said he deleted it too and he’s kind of glad he did.”
Northview senior Stella Paganelli is an avid TikTok user and has had the app since 2020.
The first warnings regarding the TikTok ban were alarming as the screen showed an important “update” from TikTok stating when the ban took place [January 19] and how they tried to restore service in the U.S.
“I was really sad, I didn’t cry or anything like some people did but it was just sad because I have so many memories,” Paganelli said.
The second warning had people sure the app was going to be gone as some users deleted it and the app store didn’t have it because a U.S. buyer doesn’t own TikTok.
“I didn’t delete the app, but because I didn’t delete the app, I kept clicking on it out of habit and I couldn’t get in,” Paganelli said.
TikTok being back after the overnight ban had people overjoyed immediately posting videos the moment they were able to click back in and scroll.
“I was so happy, I remember texting everyone, I was like ‘oh my God, TikTok’s back’,” Paganelli said.
On the other side of things, Senior Arielle Perez used TikTok continuously throughout her day until she deleted it, unable to download it back as it was removed from the United States app stores.
“I kind of felt a sense of relief, everyone including me spends so much time on TikTok but then as soon as I didn’t have it I was like, oh,” Perez said.“After I deleted it I went to Instagram reels to try and get the same hook and it did not work.”
TikTok consumed many constantly scrolling with unlimited feeds, leaving people uncertain of how to pass time without the app.
“My day itself is pretty busy, but when I hit the dry points in my day like after I get home from the gym or work, I literally can’t do anything without scrolling for 30 minutes so I was having withdrawals,” Perez said.
Everyone has different opinions about the future of TikTok, but the app staying is agreeable among many.
“I hope it stays, I do think there should be some sort of limitations on it, not heavily, but I do think it does consume society more than it should, including me,” Perez said.
People hope TikTok will continue to remain as the app has been around for years and just simply cannot go.
“I hope it stays because I have so much, I’ve been on the app for five years or more, My whole life’s on there, all my videos from when I was little are on there too,” Paganelli said.
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