Should TikTok be banned in the U.S?

By: Hawa Kamara

Social Media’s impact on society

Thanks to social media, people can now obtain news more quickly and learn about global events. People continue to believe the news they learn on sites like Tik Tok, regardless of its reliability. Due to social media, many individuals no longer watch real news. It is debatable whether social media platforms like TikTok affect people negatively or positively. On one hand, social media could have a beneficial effect on you if you use it to inspire yourself, and your “for you pages,”  are full of inspiring sayings. At the same time, however, those same platforms could negatively affect you, if you use them to observe what other people are doing and to follow trends because you are attempting to use them to change who you are internally,  in order to fit in.

Different kinds of social media platforms

Let's start off with the popular social media platforms we all know. Tik Tok, Instagram, Facebook, twitter, Youtube, Snapchat, etc. Believe it or not, platforms like WhatsApp, WeChat, and Telegram are all considered social media platforms as well.

Social media platforms are online digital services or websites that allow users to create, share, and interact with content and connect with other users. As long as you can create and share content it is considered a social media platform.

Unbelievably, with 3.06 billion users worldwide as of 2024, Facebook is the most widely used social media site. Investopedia states that Facebook's adaptability distinguishes it from other social networking platforms by providing a variety of content, including status updates, videos, images, and instant chats. It differs from sites like LinkedIn, which mainly caters to professional networking needs, and others that target certain demographics due to its wide appeal. Facebook's versatility, which lets you create your page with anything you want, including personal and business-related content, was discovered after extensive research.

YouTube is in second place. There are 20.70 billion Facebook users. YouTube is a website that allows users to share videos. For amusement, many people view films from that location. YouTube is popular because it allows anyone with an account to produce and post content. And it's free! Free products are loved by all. Additionally, YouTube released YouTube Shorts, which are condensed versions of larger videos found on other sites such as Instagram reels and TikTok. "To relax" and, "to feel entertained," are the two main reasons why people visit YouTube. When you're bored or anxious and feel the need to unwind, YouTube is a good resource to use.

Whatsapp, with an astounding 2.40 billion users, comes in third. WhatsApp differs slightly from the other platforms. The main functions of WhatsApp are calling and texting. WhatsApp is often used to make international phone calls. It is similar to these other social media sites in that you can post a status update. WhatsApp status updates resemble stories on Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, and other platforms. WhatsApp also allows voice and video calls (Facetime).

Next up is Instagram, which has 2.35 billion users and is my personal favorite. On Instagram, you can share images, blogs, brief films, stories, notes (highlights of your day), and more. Its use of hashtags, which lets you increase your following and notoriety, is what makes it so popular. Many small companies utilize Instagram to promote their brands and increase the number of individuals who notice their goods. Instagram Marketplace is used by people to purchase and sell products. Instagram direct messages (DMs) are another way that people can communicate with one another in private. Instagram recently released Instagram AI, better known as Meta, which moderates content, removes harmful and inappropriate posts, and can help with captioning, translation, and video effects in reels and video editing. It can help curate personalized feeds based on the user’s behavior. Meta drives some accessibilities like screen readers, text-to-speech, and image descriptions. It can help prevent hacking attempts and detect suspicious activities. Many of these platforms are rapidly growing and changing.

Believe it or not, it took us this long to get to the main subject of this article: TikTok. You may be asking yourself, "Why are we learning about all these other social media platforms if this article is supposed to be about the TikTok ban in the United States? TikTok is rated fifth among the most widely used social media platforms. Given this ranking, why would the United States wish to ban TikTok among the other platforms they could ban?"

Why is TikTok being banned and what does this “ban” mean?

The United States believes that TikTok is being used to spy on the country, which is why it is being prohibited. It's as easy as that. They believe they are gathering information and applying it to their own government. You might wonder who they are in this instance. The Chinese government. The fact that the United States is concerned about someone from a completely different continent spying on them is fascinating yet ironic, isn't it? The United States issued a sort of ultimatum to China, stating that they had until January 2025 to sell TikTok or else it would be prohibited in the country.

The app won't simply vanish from our phones and other electronic devices as a result of this prohibition. It indicates that the software will no longer be available for download on the Play Store and Software Store. The idea is that you won't be able to update the software once it leaves app stores, and eventually, it won't function anymore because you won't be able to update it as it develops. Leading to many consumers having the less recent version.

Should TikTok be banned? What do you think?

Considering all of this, is it appropriate to ban TikTok? According to studies, 29% of TikTok users are unsure, 10% support the ban, and 61% are against it. The ban is not acceptable to the majority of TikTok users. Some claim to require it for their enterprises, while others claim to need it for amusement or personal use. Since they can utilize other social media sites, some users simply don't care. Given the potential impact on their children, some people, such as parents, might be in favor of it. Overall, it's still up for debate whether or not TikTok should be prohibited. We'll simply have to wait and see till January 2025, I suppose.

Do you genuinely believe that TikTok will be prohibited? Over the last four years, they have attempted, but failed, to outlaw TikTok. What are your thoughts on this contradicting, yet ironic implication?