Just a day before the Inauguration on January 20th, 2025, TikTok users and creators all around the United States were full of fear and confusion as the Chinese social media platform TikTok was being removed and unable to be accessed from cell phones issued in the United States. As popular as this app is, creators of all different ages were sad to see this platform go. At around 10 PM on January 19th, users were greeted with an error message, saying that TikTok could not be accessed. People quickly went onto other social media platforms to express their anger and frustration with this ban, stating that it was unconstitutional and violated the First Amendment right to freedom of speech. A popular Chinese social media platform with similar features to TikTok called “Xiaohongshu,” which means RedNote in English, spiked in popularity and quickly became the #1 social media platform on the App Store directly following the TikTok ban. Americans attempted to connect with each other and the pre-existing Chinese users on RedNote. Others went to the social media platform, Instagram, to mimic their TikTok experience. However, as much as people tried, it was hard to find something to replace their experience on TikTok in the same way.
Not only did this frustrate TikTok viewers, but it also frustrated TikTok creators who monetized their videos. Many creators have dedicated their careers to being social media influencers. Given TikTok’s massive popularity, this was a huge loss in content creation and making money. With over 170 million American users, many creators were going to lose a stream of income.
Just 14 hours after the error message was displayed to TikTok users, the social media platform was accessible once again. When users attempted to click on the app, the home screen displayed a message stating, “As a result of President Trump’s efforts, TikTok is back in the U.S.!” On Inauguration Day, Donald Trump offered a 90-day extension on the ban in order to find a non-Chinese buyer to sell the company, ByteDance, to. Users celebrated the revival of TikTok after just 14 hours. Flint Hill Senior Ella Leggett stated, “I think the ban was very counterproductive and I want TikTok to be brought back fully.” This goes to show how young TikTok users feel about the ban and its effect. Flint Hill Junior Maggie Hennessy talked about her “addiction” to the app, stating, “The dopamine withdrawals I had gotten from less than 24 hours without TikTok were noticeable. I would go to click onto the app without thinking, making me realize how bad my addiction really was.” This is a common experience for users of many ages across America. In just a short 14 hours, the ban put addiction to this app on display.
With all of this in mind, the TikTok ban served as a reminder of both the values and issues presented by social media.
