A national announcement in late 2024 confirmed the ban on TikTok on the momentous date of January 17th, 2025. The cause for this ban was due to the US government’s concerns over potential user data collection and influence operations (covert actions by foreign governments to influence U.S. political sentiment or public discourse) by the Chinese government.
With the ban on TikTok being a potential recurring possibility, many teens weren’t threatened by this announcement and didn’t believe it would actually happen. Nonetheless, the phone-addicted teens in the US began to freak out.
TikTok was first launched in the app store in September 2016, previously known as “Musically.” Similar to TikTok, Musically was an app where you could post fun short videos with trending dances, songs, and more. With immediate attention to the app from people of all ages, many found a sense of security and calmness in scrolling with a customized algorithm catering to the subjects they love.
Emotional connections were made to the app as it collected generational aura. Years went on, and people grew up, posting videos on the app and creating a digital diary of their lives, almost as if they were using it as a separate camera roll. Looking back on these videos can be highly sentimental and nostalgic for people, as they contain many memories from their childhood, so when the threat of the app disappearing from everyone’s phones became a reality, that just simply wasn’t a viable option.
The denial of the app being removed was apparent through the reaction of high school students, including HBHA sophomore Norah Pabst. She explained, “My initial reaction was really sad. I kind of didn’t know what to do with myself.”
Addiction can be an extremely serious issue no matter what the addiction is, and based on the explanation from Pabst, it seems as though this type of addiction is comparable to alcohol or drugs.
“I felt like I was just searching for the feeling I get from TikTok in other places,” Pabst said. These types of feelings practically define withdrawal.
Pabst is most definitely not alone in this feeling. I personally had a similar reaction when I, and many others, began to scroll through Instagram Reels, Snapchat Highlights, or even Rednote (the Chinese equivalent of TikTok), yet nothing seemed to have the same unique algorithm to keep me entertained.
Pabst described how TikTok created such a particular algorithm sculpted to fit her personality to the point where it serves her videos that perfectly replicate her feelings and inner thoughts.
Lucky for TikTok addicts across the US, the app was brought back swiftly the morning after the ban, but that doesn’t mean the app is the same or officially here to stay.
Though TikTok has positively affected the lives of many in the way it transmits relevant news and information and has served as an occupation for some; it has also separately caused many students to get behind in school due to procrastination, stole personal information, and trapped users within the walls of the algorithm for hours on end. All of these negative yet separate components of the app can have detrimental impacts on people’s brains and mental health.
The attempted ban on TikTok in early 2025 served as a wake-up call for many users, highlighting both the deep emotional connection people have with the app and the potential dangers of its addictive nature.
The swift return of the app may have been a relief for its users, but it also serves as a reminder to reflect on how much influence a single platform can have on our daily lives. Whether TikTok remains a long-term staple or faces future restrictions, its impact on this generation is undeniable.
