As the future of TikTok in the United States becomes unclear, teenagers are feeling the effects of the alleged “TikTok Ban”. With the platform serving as a primary source of entertainment for many, the threat of its disappearance sparks concern and fear. However, teens agree themselves that overall, the results of this ban would bear positive outcomes.
According to Business Insider, teens spend an average of two hours a day on TikTok. 1/12 of their day is spent on an app where their young minds are mindlessly scrolling for hours on end, a never stopping cycle. Taylor Leavitt is an average TikTok user spending around two hours daily on the social media app.
“I was bummed after hearing about the TikTok ban because I spend so much of my day on it,” says Taylor. “I thought, what would I do now?”
The question of what teens would do if TikTok was stripped away from them, is indeed intriguing. They may struggle to fill in the void that was once filled by endlessly scrolling through videos. While some argue that the app is a safe space for teens to expressive their creativity, others would argue that it does more harm than good.
Maite Arriagada falls into the latter. “It would be really good for me because it would improve my grades and mental health and I would prioritize better things.” Says Maite regarding the ban.
If teens understand the positive effects of removing TikTok from their lives, why not delete the app? The answer is addiction. TikTok is designed to be highly engaging and unfortunately, the average teen has fallen victim to this trap. Devoting hours of your day to an app that you know is doing more harm than good and you know would improve your quality of life if deleted, indicates an addiction that can be challenging to break.
Jeanne Park is a sophomore and another average TikTok user. “I know that my grades would improve significantly even though I would be sad,” says Jeanne. “But at the end of the day, it would be good for me.”
The growing perspective among teenagers is that while TikTok being removed from their lives would be disappointing, it would lead to significant improvements in their lives. One of these areas including academic performance. This is an area which has first handedly seen effects of how social media can be a distraction for teens, only getting worse after the creation of TikTok.
“We would all get mad and pout,” says Taylor. “But it would better us, it really would.”
There is a silver lining behind what seems to be a blanket of frustration from teenagers across America. This indicates that the recognition of the problem, may come to a solution. Teens are able to realize that the TikTok ban healthy and productive for their lives. Despite the ban eliciting disappointment at first, it would prompt teens to realize what life is like without being bound to a social media app.
