TikTok, a beloved app for many students at NHP, briefly became inaccessible to American users on January 18, 2025. TikTok is a popular social media platform where users can create, watch and share fifteen seconds to ten-minute-long videos. However, the app being owned by a Chinese company has caused concerns within the American government regarding its possible use for propaganda or selling data.
Originally launched in 2014 as Musical.ly, the app was famous for lip syncing videos. In November 2017, ByteDance, a Chinese tech company, purchased Musical.ly for $1 billion and merged its own platform, Douyin, to create TikTok. The app quickly gained traction, attaining 1.6 billion users globally. With its trendy content, the users of TikTok have varying opinions on how they feel about it becoming banned.
“I did not agree with the government’s decision on the TikTok ban. I believe that TikTok is a great platform for many teens to express their creativity and communicate, and shouldn’t be taken away,” freshman Evangeline Jacob said.
TikTok getting banned does not only affect the viewers but also influencers, small businesses, artists, musicians and activists. With the ban in place, these groups will lose their primary platform that they once had to spread support, produce a product or share their talents.
“If TikTok were to get banned, I would definitely miss @lala_sadii the most. She’s hilarious and so relatable,” junior Kitty Guan said. “Her interactions with her brothers are always sweet and cute, adding such a fun dynamic to her videos.”
Concerns of TikTok’s influence began in the US in 2019, leading to a federal investigation into its practices. By 2020, privacy groups complained that TikTok violated U.S. child safety laws. The company promised stronger protections, but scrutiny increased.
In March 2023, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew testified before Congress, denying allegations of Chinese government influence. TikTok users also had something to say about this hearing, making viral memes and videos about Chew repeating that he is Singaporean to Congress officials.
A year later, a potential bill to ban TikTok or force its sale to a U.S company led to a political plight. Despite TikTok’s efforts, the bill passed and then former President Biden signed it into law. By January 17, 2025, the Supreme Court confirmed the ban unless TikTok is sold to an American company. A ban was set to go into effect on January 19, 2025.
On January 18, 2025, TikTok users experienced a blackout of TikTok videos, spreading panic among users. Many users sought alternatives, including apps like RedNote, Lemon 8 and other short-form content such as Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts. However, within 24 hours, TikTok returned, leaving a message supporting Trump’s efforts while telling users to remain engaged. Then, on January 20, the day of President Trump’s inauguration, he also paused the TikTok ban for 75 days to allow ByteDance to sell the platform or reach a deal. As of February 13, 2025, the app is back on the App Store.
“Personally, the TikTok ban took a bigger toll on me than I expected. Although it may sound dramatic, I felt empty, not being able to scroll through the posts that contained both my personal entertainment and news updates on current events,” sophomore Aileen Philip said.
In a school environment, TikTok is found useful by many students as it provides study tips, advice about school, and sharing feelings others may have.
“On my TikTok fyp, sometimes I’ll see STEM videos that are pretty intriguing. TikTok helped me find a lot of study hacks and tutorials that I still use to this day. It’s a great educational tool, if you make it one!” senior Aaron Koshy said.
Teachers also have varied feelings about TikTok, many viewing it as both a distraction and a learning or teaching tool.
“First off, TikTok can absolutely be a distraction. The sensation of scrolling, getting information in seconds, and moving to another video is specifically designed to keep us glued to the app,” art teacher Ms. Livoti said. “That being said, this is also why it can be a great teaching tool. Teaching digital literacy, understanding your digital footprint, understanding how your data is being tracked or used, these are important things for teens to understand as they spend time on the app.”
Students and teachers have mixed feelings about what they feel about the TikTok ban, but now that it is back for a while, creators and users could take advantage of the resource now, and prepare for the long ban.
