I used to love Musical.ly. I would spend hours making up a funny little dance or creating skits with my friends. That’s why, in 2018, I despised Tiktok. The name burned my tongue, and the trends were awful. A couple months after it came out all of my friends were using it, so I hopped on the bandwagon. It wasn’t as bad, maybe a little addicting. Fast forward to 2020 when quarantine started, I was home by myself everyday with only TikTok to keep me company. I learned so much about myself, I found influencers I related to. I found accounts who taught me new things. I don’t think I’d be as comfortable with myself if I never had TikTok. 

Recently, the American Government has wanted to ban TikTok for National Security. There are conspiracies that the personal information TikTok has will seep into the hands of the Chinese government. I do believe that TikTok knows about me, but it has given platforms to people who have helped me learn who I am. TikTok has given voices to minorities, and has changed the lives of millions. That’s why I think this whole “TikTok ban” is a horrible, terrible idea. A Forbes article said that The American Civil Liberties Union and other free speech organizations are pushing the government to not ban TikTok on free speech grounds. This is because of the app’s wide spread of sources and information, also the huge political discussion and artistic expression.

TikTok is an outlet to millions of people, a safe place where we can learn new things. I personally have learned more about American history, politics, my rights, and how to become a healthier person through TikTok. TikTok is where most current-day influencers have started; many companies have become huge through TikTok ads and influencer marketing. I believe that TikTok is a great resource for many people. It is not necessary to live, but it does make living a little easier. Even if the government had selective bans, there would still be a cut off of information, art, and communication. 

In order for the American government to impose full bans on the app, is if it poses a national threat, or extremely serious harm. Personally I don’t see the harm in this app. Maybe it’s because I don’t believe everyone’s out to get me, or maybe it’s because I believe the government is. TikTok is a viable resource that genuinely makes me feel like I’m not being controlled by fake news.