Picture this: it’s a relatively relaxing Sunday afternoon, but you start feeling a little bored. So, being the chronically online person you are, you decide to open your favorite social media app TikTok. You smile slightly at the joys your doom scrolling will bring you when you’re faced with a dreaded pop-up notification. TikTok has been banned. That app that you use almost every day to send funny video clips to your friends no longer exists, and now you must cope with the idea that it may never come back. Yet magically . . . it does.
This short horror sequence was the unfortunate fate that struck many Americans nationwide on January 19th, 2025. The popular social media app TikTok had been shut down for 12 hours, returning later that night to the astonishment and suspicion of its patrons. Here at West High, many students see TikTok as a comfort source and must now come to grips with their newfound emotions towards the platform. Though every person reacts differently to odd circumstances such as this, to the following student interviewees, things have definitely changed when it comes to their beloved source of mind-numbing data usage.
Julia Estanislao (12) was just one of the students who had an immediate reaction to the ban. Estanislao shared that “I was super upset [about the ban] since I use TikTok for entertainment . . . I called my friends right away and we all talked about how shocked we were.” Similarly, Ivana Yonga (10) was very distraught over the ban, explaining that “I’ve literally kept my whole life on that one app . . .TikTok has helped me with homework, informed me about future careers, kept me up to date with current issues in the world.” Both students, expressed their dependence on TikTok as a form of escapism and relaxation in their interviews, leading one to wonder what other activities could produce a similar effect.
Interestingly, the lack of TikTok became helpful for some students as they realized what other activities may be more productive while equally as stimulating. Valerie Perea (12) is one such student who mentioned that she “shortly realized that [the ban] wasn’t an entirely bad thing . . . I ended up spending the rest of that night sewing and tailoring some clothes which was something I had been meaning to do.” On the other hand, Livia Brindicci (10) “just went to Instagram reels” describing that it will work as a temporary replacement because she was “upset over losing all the videos I had of me and my friends.” Taking this into mind, it’s clear to see why many students were upset by the ban and why many rejoiced once it came back.
While joy was the general feeling that came with the return of Tiktok, some students took a more nuanced approach to their reaction. Joey Lewis (12) has already deleted the app, declaring that “the ban makes me truly worried . . . [I will be] keeping my eyes open and educating myself thoroughly on what’s happening in the world because I think the ban is only the first thing that will try and be censored with a political agenda.” Kevin Risk (10) shares the belief that the ban and subsequent renewal are political, mentioning that “I will still use TikTok but I have no desire to make any in-app purchases to support [any new owners].” Political or otherwise, students all over West High seem to be wary of the app’s revival, not seeing it as the same comfortable spot it once was. Will anything be able to take its place?
With this horror story hopefully behind us, many look to the future with the hope that things like this will not happen again. Yet, with this scandal being what it is, it puts other social media applications into question. This questioning may permit us as students the time to examine our digital footprints and develop more varied interests in light of how easily our online allowances may be stripped. So, before hopping onto your next brain-rot-infested source of dopamine, maybe stop to think about what you would do without that application so as to avoid reliance and possible disappointment if it were to be altered like TikTok has been.
