Note: I wrote this post about two weeks ago, and so much has happened since then that the TikTok ban seems rather tame. The main reason I’m so late posting this is because my beloved cat, Flopsie, passed away Sunday before last (Jan. 26, 2025). He lived to be 14 (78 in cat years). My grief had a chokehold on me, and I hardly had the strength to do anything for a while. However, I took the time to write this post before all this happened, and I’m going to go ahead and share this old ass news and my old ass opinion with the world. So here we go!
When it came to TikTok, I can’t say that I was a super fan. At the same time, I found much enjoyment on the app. Whether I was ogling Zeeko Zaki—or some other fine man—watching cute clips of deer waiting by a garage door for something to eat, videos about Karens/Kens, or jammin’ to the “Smoking Out the Window” challenge, I had a ball watching TikTok videos.
I even made a few TikToks. On Halloween, I would make videos about how my cat is a monster that feeds on human flesh. When I took my trip to Vegas, I recorded a lot of the cool sights on the strip and posted it to my account (that was my first TikTok ever).
There were also heartfelt videos on TikTok, like a couple that found some abandoned children in a garage, who posted a video for the children’s parents and/or relatives to see about them, or when a gentleman offered his home to the people that lost everything during Hurricane Helene.
There’s a million Americans that adored TikTok, whether it was to use the videos as a way to escape their everyday lives or to make a connection with a strong community where they were loved and accepted. However, the US gubment (I meant to spell it that way) decided that TikTok was harmful, as the app is connected to the Chinese government and could be mining users’ personal information. Talks of banning the app had been going on for quite some time, and as of Jan. 19, 2025, TikTok was officially banned from the United States. Of course, I have thoughts.
Sometimes I feel like I’m living in the Twilight Zone. Back in the day, the government did things that I didn’t necessarily agree with, but at least the decisions the powers that be made had a modicum of sense. Now I don’t know what the hell these people are on. It boggles my mind that the government can’t come together when it comes to mass shootings—be they in schools or public places/events—but they banded together like Voltron to take down a social media app. A social media app.
And I know some of you are thinking, “TikTok was using our personal data!” I don’t exactly doubt it. But guess what? Facebook does the same thing. Instagram does it as well. Seeing how Elon Musk moves, I wouldn’t doubt that X (which will always be Twitter to me) also shares the users’ personal information. If the real issue was worrying about American’s personal information being compromised, there should be some type of restrictions against data mining with all forms of social media, not just TikTok.
No, I believe the government got greedy and wanted a piece of the pie. After all, TikTok is an extremely lucrative social media app that’s on the same level as Meta (Facebook and Instagram) and Twitter. However, when the Chinese government refused to give the US a cut, we did what we do best…whined and threatened to take the app away from everybody. I guess the US figured China would fold, as losing out on millions of American users would surely hurt their revenue. However, China refused and our government made good on their threat. *Sigh*
The backlash was swift and severe. A lot of people were pissed that their source of income, entertainment, and community was taken away. I believe a lot of them were like me; they thought this ban wouldn’t come to pass. When the powers that be saw that this decision could possible hurt their approval ratings, they decided to bring TikTok back…temporarily. As of Jan. 19, 2025, President Trump signed a 75 day delay on the TikTok ban. If there’s a delay, I wish someone would let me know about it. My app was deleted from my phone all on its own, and whenever I try to download it again from the Play Store, there’s a message saying that TikTok is banned by the US government. Jeez Louise.
So, was the TikTok ban necessary? In my opinion, no. In the grand scheme of things, it’s trivial as hell. The truth of the matter is that social media/streaming video apps come and go. The TikTok era may be over, but I’m sure a new one will come to surface. I’ve been hearing a lot about Rednote and CapCut lately. I just hope the government doesn’t decide to ban them for some BS reason instead of worrying about the things they should be concerned about like the economy, or equal opportunity for ALL Americans (this may be a lost cause at this point), or making sure children go to school and come back home safely. But what do I know? I’m just a small town girl from South Carolina who’s currently living from paycheck to paycheck. Peace.
—Written by Nadiya
So what are your thoughts on the TikTok ban? Was it needed, or is the US government focusing on the wrong issues? Tell me in the comments section!
Insights from a Southern Girl 