The Controversy of the Tiktok Ban
By SAMAIYA JULY 28’, V MURDAYA ‘27, and DIYA SANDEEP ‘28
On the evening of January 18, to the dismay of many, users who attempted to open Tiktok were met with a white screen message that stated that the short-form media app would be unavailable in the United States. However, this was short-lived. In less than 12 hours, users were met with another pop-up message stating that Trump had initiated an executive order permitting the app to resume its services temporarily. This time, users should be happy that their beloved content creation app has been restored. Or are they?
There’s no denying that TikTok has had a major effect on the general public. From creating jobs to free publicity to increasing exposure for underrated artists, it has been a source of much good. But it’s also started to run rampant, with the average American spending over seven hours daily on screens — nearly an hour of which is spent on Tiktok, a third of the total estimated time adults spend on all social media platforms.
With the TikTok ban still looming, the conversation about whether TikTok is worth all the hype is arising once more. Many creators in the app will cite the amount of good that it has done. For musical artists that may be struggling, 67 percent of users are more likely to stream music on other platforms after discovering it on TikTok and 75 percent of them find new artists that way. TikTok has also boosted influencers to the point that many full-time creators are able to make a living wage, with the platform paying significantly better compared to others of its size. It also acts as a low-cost, easy way for small businesses that may not be able to afford large-scale marketing to get their name into the market, with almost seven million small businesses in the U.S. operating on the app.
However, doom scrolling has become a serious issue, and the consequences it has on the population are progressively worsening. According to a 2024 Morning Consult Survey, almost a third of Americans have admitted to doom scrolling consistently. A Journal of Health Communications survey has stated that 70 percent of respondents have called it problematic. Potential side effects from doom scrolling include increased stress, anxiety, poor physical health, and shorter attention spans.
The content on TikTok can also be dangerous for younger users, as it is not targeted towards them. While it has taken measures to prevent them from potentially touchy subjects, social media, and short-form content have a natural penchant for leading people down darker roads, with large platforms being linked to higher rates of depression and eating disorders.
Despite the positives and negatives of TikTok, the public sentiment regarding the ban appears to be gradually shifting as the support for the ban dwindles and the number of people opposing and unsure of the ban slowly rises. According to Pew Research, between March 2023 and August 2024, the percentage of Americans in favor of banning TikTok dropped from 50 percent to 32 percent. During the same period, the amount of Americans who reported opposing the ban rose from 22 percent to 28 percent, similarly, the amount of people unsure about the ban has risen from 28 percent to 35 percent.
Despite the change in opinion from the public, support for the ban remains heavily divided along political lines. Republicans are significantly more likely to back the TikTok ban than Democrats. As of August 2024, 50 percent of Republicans support the ban, compared to just 29 percent of Democrats. This divide relays broader differences in beliefs, with Republicans often citing concerns over national security and data privacy. The same reason indicated by Joe Biden during his presidency, pushing the U.S. government’s beliefs that the app should be banned due to concerns regarding national safety and the distrust of Chinese companies taking data from American uses for a Chinese political agenda, while many Democrats argue that the ban itself infringes on the rights of the American people, and hence making it seem un-democratic and discriminatory by blocking users’ ability to access news online. The Supreme Court also deems the ban unconstitutional, as the government is ‘attempting to control the flow of ideas to the public.’
Age is another critical factor influencing opinions on the TikTok ban. Young adults under 30 have consistently been among the least supportive of the ban. Since March 2023, this age group has overwhelmingly opposed or remained in denial of the ban, often viewing TikTok as more or less a vital space for entertainment, socialization, and self-expression. On the other hand, older generations of Americans, particularly those aged 65 and older, have shown more support for banning the app. These opposing opinions are greatly shaped by how the different generations use the app, with younger generations more accustomed and likely to use the app than older generations, who use the internet a lot less.
What’s next? It is evident that people are not going to give up short-form content forever just because one of its pioneering apps has been removed. Other platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, would quickly fill the gap created by TikTok’s ban. Creators of the app could migrate to these platforms and continue creating content, transporting millions of users in the process. This would not only help in the viewership of these platforms but also ensure the government that the apps controlling the users’ attention are American-born companies, free of Chinese political interference or propaganda. Furthermore, the collection of American users’ personal data would simply transfer control from a foreign entity to an American corporation.
The TikTok ban debate serves as a reflection of larger societal values. While the platform has undoubtedly brought many opportunities, innovation, and creative entertainment to many people, it has also introduced challenges like addiction, mental health concerns, and a national security risk. The shifting public sentiment toward the ban and deep political and generational divides highlight the many factors and consequences of the ban. Even if TikTok were banned, short-form content would persist within other media apps. The TikTok ban controversy relays a broader conversation about the unhealthy unbalancing between social media and reality.