The TikTok ban has been a big topic for just about anymore for a while now and it’s gotten bigger lately because of TikTok actually getting banned in the U.S on January 19th 2025. Although it only was for 14 hours it could still mean a lot for the country in the future. So it raises the question: How does the TikTok ban impact you? To some people it doesn’t affect them that much because they don’t use the app or not enough to miss it. But to others who used it more regularly would definitely have some things to miss about it “I would miss my personalized For You Page (FYP); Instagram reels doesn’t have the same algorithm as TikTok,” said freshmen Kentaro Carter.
Although to others, TikTok was more than just a place to find funny or relatable videos. Some people use it to stay in the loop for certain ongoing events in the world or to keep up with their friends or a community they’re in, English teacher, Ms. Hayes really put on a spotlight on that side of TikTok when she said “I’d miss the community I had there with my friends. I would miss the easy access to news sources. I keep up with other Esports creators on there as well, like @SheTeachesArt, she helps me feel inspired for my work.”
To some people, the TikTok ban represents something more than just a ban on an app that was seen as Chinese Spyware to some Congressmen. Instead, some people see the ban as a display of power the government really has over the people, again Ms. Hayes says it the best when she was asked what she was doing/wondering when the app was banned “When it was banned, I was disappointed to see a piece of social media reach so much scrutiny. Frankly, I wasn’t surprised it was banned although I was surprised how fast it was pardoned. I thought if it had been actually banned it would’ve had more of an impact because it kind of reveals how much power the government actually has and what they can do.”
But to stray from that scary thought, if TikTok was still banned, what other apps would people move to? Are the other apps on the internet better? Many apps now have their own section dedicated for short-form videos, including YouTube and so TikTok has a lot of competition, although it doesn’t seem like any of them can be compared to something as liked as TikTok. Kentaro said “For the short while that TikTok was banned I was using Instagram Reels, and it was different to me. In my opinion, Instagram has a worse algorithm than TikTok and I liked the UI or Layout of TikTok more.”
“Not while it was banned, but I’ve scrolled on YouTube Shorts and it was pretty bad compared to TikTok,” said freshman, Jada Pongsuppat.
Clearly, people believe that there wouldn’t be a good replacement for TikTok if it was still banned so, if it actually was still banned, what else would people miss about it? Most people would miss the videos they’d find on there “What I’d really miss are the memes/jokes I’d find on there. Because other apps don’t have the same humor I find on TikTok and there aren’t many other things that make me laugh,” junior, Aaron Rodriguez Andrade.
It seems like the algorithm of TikTok is better than the other apps and that’s probably what makes it so much better than the other apps. It mastered the arts of the algorithm. Somebody who pointed this out was freshmen, Christopher Trupia when was talking about what he would miss “I would miss the algorithm that helped give me good videos to watch.”
A small sort of concern has formed ever since TikTok was pardoned from its ban, a percentage of people on the platform believe that something is off with the app. Although people cannot pinpoint exactly what’s wrong with it. “It definitely feels a little different but I couldn’t tell you why. It feels strangely off for whatever reason,” said Ms. Hayes.
But the concern might just be understandable paranoia, though because of the amount of people noticing this it might not be a coincidence after all. In general though, according to all these quotes, TikTok is irreplaceable. Compared to all the other apps that have short-form videos people just don’t think it could compare to something as great as TikTok.
Whether it’s because the algorithm yields better videos, there are entirely constantly growing communities, or just because it has higher quality and funny videos. The impact that TikTok would have if it was still banned is that it wouldn’t be around anymore and people wouldn’t have anywhere else to go to be entertained.
And on top of that. There’s a bigger and scarier note that needs more attention; it pretty much puts a light on the fact that despite the majority of people in the U.S. exclaiming that they didn’t want it to be banned, it still was, revealing how much power the government really has over the people in our country.
