Senior Kenzie Owens was unsure of what was going to happen to TikTok, but she wasn’t convinced the social media platform was really going to be taken away.
“I would be upset if TikTok got banned because I do spend a lot of my free time there,” Owens said.
For years, the United States government threatened to ban TikTok from the billions of people that engage on the app regularly. According to the Associated Press News, the app was officially banned in India in July of 2020. A few weeks later Donald Trump, during his first presidential term, threatened to also take it away in what was said to be “retaliation” against China.
Now, after five years of talk, the app was officially shut down on Jan. 18, but to users’ surprise, the shutdown lasted for only 12 hours. The billions of users were shocked, devastated and even came forward in frustration and tears.
“I don’t really think that it’s gonna get banned because they say this every year,” she said, “and it never is.”
Prior to the 12- hour ban, Owens and other students were leery of the ban because of attempts made in the past that never succeeded. Upon opening the app on Jan. 18, a message appeared stating that “President Trump has indicated that he will work with us on a solution to reinstate TikTok once he takes office.” Then, 12 hours later, two days before he took office, TikTok users regained access and gave shoutouts to Trump and his effort to restore it.
“I kind of had a feeling it would be back quickly,” junior Austin Sandoval said. “Because so many people were on it and I thought there was no way it would stay banned for too long.”
While the app had a quick turn around, members of the TikTok community were upset about their rights being stripped.
“I think it’s more of the principle of it,” senior Rebekah Lamb said. “Even if it is bad for me, I feel freedom-wise, I should be able to totally choose that on my own. It seems unconstitutional.”
Despite the ban, users experienced very little down time. The message that appeared on the homescreen of the app gave praise to President Trump and his “efforts.”
“The fact that he’s being pinned as a ‘savior’ feels like he wants a bigger audience and teens to agree with his political views,” Lamb said.
In agreement with Lamb’s opinions, senior Anniston Engelmann also believed it felt like a public relations stunt in order to appeal to the younger audience. Engelmann was glad TikTok was restored, but she felt as if it was not the most pressing issue..
“I think there are bigger issues that you could solve as president,” Engelmann said. “Just because you saved TikTok, doesn’t really cover everything you’ve done or not done.”
With bigger issues happening across America, TikTokers were glad to have the app back. Students missed the community they had built, as well as their videos of choice.
Senior Macon Butler however, loved using the platform to be creative, try new recipes, and find her vibe alongside the TikTok community.
“I feel like I get a lot of hobbies from there,” Butler said. “For example, I found the recipe to make some coffee syrups at home and how to make matcha and coffee. So that’s been really fun to me, also it’s just a cool place to go for a vibe.”
Members of the TikTok community were concerned they would lose their creative outlet, as well as the platform they took years to build. The people who enjoyed watching content however, confessed that they get sucked into the cycle of scrolling.
“Sometimes it makes me procrastinate, or I’ll waste time,” Owens said. “I will always say, I will do my homework in 15 minutes and then I won’t do it for like, two hours.”
Due to the endless videos on the feed, it’s easy to get distracted and “doom scroll” for hours on end. Butler weighed the pros and cons of the platform.
“I felt conflicted about it being deleted because I felt like I wanted a break and it gave me an excuse to be productive again,” Butler said. “But, it also made me sad because TikTok is so fun to me.”
Sandoval, however, was prepared to adjust to other platforms like Instagram Reels as an alternative option.
“[The ban] didn’t really bother me,” Sandoval said. “For some people I know it was pretty bad.”
The future of the app was still up in the air with rumors about another ban in the next 75 days, but no additional information was solidified.
“I thought it was gone for good, so it was kind of a fishy situation, but I mean I’m glad it’s back,” Butler said. “I just don’t really know how it was such a fast turn around.”
Story by Brooklyn Nelson