TikTok has a major influence on the world. From adults to teenagers, almost everybody has used the app, or is at least aware of its influence.
But the app is a threat to American national security and is seriously addicting and damaging to the mental health of its users.
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled against TikTok on Jan. 17, and the app was set to be shut down in the United States on Jan. 19. This ban is because of the U.S. government’s concerns over potential user data collection and influence of operations by the government of the People’s Republic of China.
TikTok should be banned because it is a national security threat. Reuters wrote that FBI Director Chris Wray said the risks of TikTok included “the possibility that the Chinese government could use [TikTok] to control data collection on millions of users or control the recommendation algorithm, which could be used for influence operations.”
Regulators around the world have expressed privacy, safety and security concerns about TikTok. There are specific concerns that ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, could share sensitive user data with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). They can track the videos watched by Americans, and even manipulate the information seen by Americans to sway public opinion about China and influence future elections.
Concerns about the app intensified in March 2023 when reports emerged that the FBI and the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) were investigating TikTok for allegations that its employees had inappropriately accessed American journalists’ data. Many worried that the app was spying on journalists for the Chinese government.
TikTok should also be banned because it damages the impressionable minds of the youth. TikTok’s algorithm makes it highly addictive, particularly for those who spend hours of their day scrolling on the app.
Many people have developed serious screen time addictions that have impacted their social and emotional health. This includes not finishing school work and distancing themselves from family and friends.
According to the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA), one in seven people between the ages of 10 and 19 who watched TikTok on a daily basis struggled with mental health challenges. This age group is a key part of TikTok’s audience, making it all the more dangerous for teens.
TikTok also encourages a “culture of comparison” mindset, which can be challenging, especially for adolescents who can get influenced easily. Because of the popularity of TikTok, there have been many incidents of cyberbullying and social exclusion.
After TikTok changed its platform to solely short-form video content, it became more addicting and shortened teens’ attention spans even more. Instagram didn’t launch their reels/shorts page until 2018, after TikTok became popular.
With the short videos, the TikTok algorithm perfectly caters to the viewer’s enjoyment. People become addicted to seeing more videos, leading to hours of mindless scrolling. According to the State of Mobile report, U.S. TikTok users spent 55% of their time on the app watching content with the quick, attention grabbing format.
There are also many dangerous trends that have originated on the platform, including theft and vandalism. Overall, these sorts of trends negatively impact the mental and physical well being of adolescents, as well as the community around them.
TikTok is not the only social media app. There are many other available avenues and apps for entertainment that are less addictive and do not pose a serious national security threat. TikTok should be banned because it infects the minds of youth, damages mental health, and poses a national security concern.