Modern society moves like the ocean, innovation’s flow washing over the world and changing its landscape, its ebb revealing the impact–both positive and negative–it has had on the present way of life. The newest discovery to have swept its tides across the entire world and brought about drastic change can be seen in the rapidity of communication, how anyone is only one call, one text message, one post away. Specifically, the creation and growing prominence of social media sites–especially TikTok–has altered the nature of how people interact, the way one can create a perception of an individual they hardly know, and the fact that many people seem to see the value in privacy when it comes to sharing their lives to the entire world.
Recently, a bill has been circulating through Congress, and even passed in the House of Representatives, to force the Chinese owner of TikTok to sell the app or have it banned in the United States. While the future of this bill is difficult to predict as it moves through the Senate, and it is largely out of the hands of the regular American, this government intervention has raised an important question: would today’s society be better off without the infamous app?
One of TikTok’s largest appeals to the younger generation is the aforementioned way that it connects individuals instantaneously. All one needs to do is open the app and have their “For You Page” flooded with videos about users’ personal lives, the stories they have never shared, the experiences that resonate with unknown viewers. One cannot deny that the sheer variety of information and life stories–the comical, the beautiful, the sorrowful–is incredibly powerful and beneficial to those who find solace in the short video clips or in diving deeper into certain niches and creators.
However, this plethora of information has a dark, destructive side that makes TikTok a slippery slope for many users. The near ubiquity of misinformation on the app can leave users feeling informed when in reality, they are being told fabrications just so that one creator can benefit from the likes, shares, and reposts. While this problem is not unique to TikTok, with misinformation being spread on almost every social networking site, it is important to recognize how easily people manipulate and distort the communities on TikTok for their own agendas.
This issue of spreading deceit and falsity is only exacerbated by how quickly viral videos, trends, and clickbait “facts” move on the app, and how easily it is for anyone to get a platform on the app. The rapid rise to fame that so many influencers and social media celebrities experience is a double-edged sword and a dangerous line for many to walk. One creator may blow up overnight due to their catchy new style of music or ingenious life hacks, while another individual could find their success in spreading hate or promoting controversial and polarizing opinions. With the diffusion of influencer culture into almost every corner of modern life, it seems that the rise–and fall–of TikTok celebrities will only continue for as long as the app exists.
While many who discuss TikTok focus on the content and creators that populate the app, one important factor to consider when thinking about its banning is what this app reveals about human nature. Many can agree that spending hours scrolling through short-form video after video, hardly taking in what is playing on the screen, is not good for one’s health or ability to focus for more than the duration of a thirty-second TikTok. Yet, nobody is doing anything to stop themselves. Humans crave the quick burst of endorphins that each video brings, love to indulge in mindless hours of scrolling because it is much easier than, say, doing homework or holding an unfulfilling, boring conversation. TikTok satisfies these desires, and such behaviors will likely not go away, even if the app is banned. It is possible that users will just migrate to another platform with similar content or will find the newest thing to hold their attention. If it is human nature to act in this way, then the restriction of an app will be largely inconsequential in the long run.
So, after taking many aspects, nuances, and idiosyncrasies into consideration, should TikTok stay or should it go? There is no easy answer to this question, especially considering that it is unpredictable whether or not there will be an official governmental prohibition of the app or whether the bill will die in the Senate. However, it is clear that TikTok as a whole represents a new wave of communication for society that is quickly washing over and clearing out all that was once known. Influencers may come and go like the ebb and flow of tides, communities may foster positivity or sew hatred into their niches, and human behaviors may continue to change with this new age of short-form content, cancel culture, and all of the many corners and consequences of TikTok.
