De'Zaria LucasSome United State officials have been threatening to ban TikTok several years now.
Recently the U.S House of Representatives voted to ban TikTok if China does not sell the app to the U.S. The problem is U.S. politicians say that China has been stealing our data through TikTok.
Tik Tok is an app that people use to engage with peers and watch short videos depending on their interests. It has been a way of culture in the last few years, creating an environment and influence no other social media has been able to capture. The app has impacted music, news and more.
People around the world use this app as an outlet and it was big during quarantine, helping people connect when cities were shut down.
Many influencers have made a living on TikTok versus other social media platforms. A lot of users were devastated when they found out that the House voted to ban TikTok. While waiting for the final vote from the U.S Senate, users are taking this time to enjoy the app while it’s still here.
Rhyan Queen, an influencer, known on TikTok and YouTube as ‘MiAngel,’ said she just started using TikTok.
“Around September 2023, I started taking TikTok seriously the same time as my YouTube channel,” Queen said.
“It’s a creative outlet for people and all of a sudden, it’s going to be taken away. A ban would be heartbreaking.”
Kiyanna Chavours, an elementary education junior and TikTok user said she believes that China will sell the app.
“I feel like it’s not going to be banned but someone might buy it and change it up here in the states,” Chavours said.
A lot of the students at N.C. Central University use TikTok for many reasons.
“I mainly use TikTok to find Sim Mods, cheats and memes,” Chavours said.
Destiny Mashack, a psychology freshman, prefers TikTok content over other forms of social media.
“I like using TikTok because of the low-quality videos,” Mashack said.
TikTok does not require as much maintenance and focus like other platforms. Though it is time consuming, instead of watching one video for 30 minutes, people watch five videos in 30 minutes.
“My favorite thing about Tik Tok is the fact I could spend 12 hours on it and it’ll only feel like it’s been one,” K’Mari Peede, an freshman, said.
Queen will also miss TikTok if the ban is implemented.
“My favorite thing has to be how creative everyone is,” Queen said.
“TikTok has the power to keep people scrolling constantly and it’s educational … which is one of the real reasons why they want to take it away.”
Because TikTok’s popularity, technicalities and algorithms are different from other platforms, content creators could have a hard time rebuilding their brand.
“I feel like I will be able to grow my platform on a different account because Instagram reels exist,” Queen said. “However, it will definitely cut down on a lot of my content and marketing.”
The change of platforms could be painful for many influencers, but if TikTok is truly banned, student entrepreneurs and influencers will have to make do with whatever they have.
