How students really feel about a potential TikTok ban
In case you missed it, TikTok is on trial as the United States considers banning the platform due to national security concerns. A potential TikTok ban is nothing new, with many public universities even banning the popular app. What makes this week different from others is that TikTok CEO, Shou Zi Chew, recently appeared in front of the US House Committee on Energy and Commerce to provide reassurance that the popular platform for students is not a threat.
TikTok has become a part of students’ social worlds, boasting 150 million active users in the United States alone. With its unique algorithm, TikTok has become a hub for creative expression, entertainment, and social interaction.
We huddled with students to find out what this potential ban means for them, their thoughts, and if they agree with it or not.
How students feel about TikTok getting banned
For students, social media is being social. Many students rely on social media, and specifically TikTok, not just for entertainment, but even for educational purposes. In fact, many students turn to TikTok before searching on Google to find information on topics they are passionate about.
Many students expressed concern over the potential loss of a platform that has become an integral part of their lives. They shared that TikTok provides a sense of community, allows them to connect with individuals from around the world, and is a place where they can express themselves in ways they may not be able to offline.
Here is what students told us about what they think about a potential TikTok ban:
“TikTok obviously blew up during COVID, it was almost as if it turned into a hobby. Since then it has evolved greatly in positive and negative ways. Negative ways include things like bullying or promoting negative or false things to people. The positives though are people are able to connect with others and feel comfortable, and even less alone. During COVID, something I and many others struggled with was feeling alone. When you are on a platform like TikTok you can relate and connect with others, and that can help many when it comes to insecurities or even just feeling alone. Although there are plenty of negative influencers out there, there are so many joyful and positive people out there where their main goal is to motivate and influence people to make kinder and healthier decisions in their everyday lives. Although I understand the perspective of TikTok being a distraction or a negative platform for students, banning TikTok is like banning somebody from a whole community that they can never see again. Other social platforms have the same negatives as TikTok, but not the same unique positives. There will always be negative people everywhere you go, you just have to focus on the positive ones.”
– Esther, 8th Grade Student“TikTok is a very entertaining platform. It brings me much joy and sparks my creativity. I would really hate for the US to ban it.”
– Kaleb, 7th Grade Student“As a student who frequently uses TikTok, I have developed a love/hate relationship with the platform and the current state it is in. Due to TikTok’s concept of being a space where brief, attention-grabbing videos can be posted on any topic, the potential for TikTok to be an evolutionary platform both academically and recreationally has no ceiling. However, TikTok’s vulnerability to posts containing inappropriate information and content that goes uncensored makes the platform overall more harmful than promising.”
– Alex, College student“I personally think a TikTok ban wouldn’t be very beneficial to student environments, as much as social media can contribute to negative “side effects” such as mental health problems or body image issues, I feel that it is our job as growing people to learn how to use social media and the resources are given to us sensibly and responsibly, it would be kind of futile to have a ban at school because kids would definitely find a loophole or a way to work around it which isn’t what the school is wanting. TikTok can also be helpful in cases at school too, there are numerous times I can think of where I’ve learned something new on TikTok or found a better pneumonic for something I hadn’t thought of. In essence, I think we shouldn’t need an actual ban to help us control ourselves”
– Luisa, 11th Grade Student“I would genuinely be so sad if there was a TikTok ban. It may seem like a waste of time, but I think that TikTok provides so much joy for students and a small escape from reality when life gets stressful. It is such a fun, creative outlet and I have honestly learned so many things from it!”
– Jennifer, College student“I would not be against the banning of TikTok if it’s proven to be a necessary action. My biggest worry is how it will impact the small businesses and freelancers who use TikTok to market their products. For many, this is their best or only way to showcase their work. The banning of TikTok will lead to the fall of countless original, creative small businesses due to a lack of exposure.”
– Mari, High School Senior“I would love a TikTok ban but for only 1 hour a day because people just sit on their phones every day and they just watch random TikTok’s but the good side to it is that you can find really positive influencers.”
– Oliver, 7th Grade Student“The TikTok ban can have both negative and positive effects for students – it would remove a platform for creative expression, however, it could also enable students to focus more on other activities and reduce their screen time.”
– Riya, 11th Grade Student“TikTok is a vice. Teenagers, myself included, can find themselves hooked on their For You Pages for hours without being fully conscious of how much time has gone by. The obsession with YouTube videos has died down as we are conditioned to lessen our attention span. Even YouTube has noticed this with the recent rise in YouTube ‘shorts’. TikTok has demonstrated that addictions aren’t all as apparent as a drug, for example, because spending hours on something and having this alter your day-to-day is an addiction and I can admit that I feel I am addicted to TikTok. With this ban, although TikTok influencers are ‘losing’ their job and there are millions of users on the line, I honestly think this is something positive. If we can’t control how many videos we scroll through our for you page, then the for you page might just have to disappear.”
– Isabela, High School Senior“It wouldn’t mean anything for me because I don’t post regularly or have a huge platform, but for others with a bigger platform and thousands of followers, it would definitely impact them.” – Izzy, 10th Grade Student
“For me personally, I feel like it wouldn’t affect me too much since I don’t make TikToks. However, I think it is an important creative outlet for students to express themselves, find community, and stay up to date with current issues in the world and popular culture. On the other hand, a lot of students get carried away and are unable to manage their time effectively due to the distracting factor of the app. I think that they definitely should not ban TikTok, even though I do understand the concerns. I think restricting the amount of time students can spend on the app in one day or something like that would be beneficial.”
– Erin, College Student
Whether you’re in favor of or against the ban, it is clear that TikTok has a huge impact on students’ lives. As educators, we can find ways to support our students in navigating their social worlds – both online and offline.
TSI’s take
In our conversations with students, striking a balance between tech seems to be one of the toughest challenges when it comes to navigating social media. In our #WinAtSocial Strike A Balance lesson, Debating tech giants’ newest features and the science of screen time, students are empowered to brainstorm creative ways to stay focused and not be overly distracted by their digital devices.
While no platform is perfect, educators have the opportunity to equip and empower students with the skills to navigate their social worlds positively. Find out what else your students want you to know when it comes to social media and tech in our 23 Insights for 2023.
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The Social Institute (TSI) is the leader in understanding student experiences and creator of #WinAtSocial, a gamified, online learning platform that equips students, educators, and families to navigate social experiences — online and offline — in healthy ways. Our unique, student-respected approach incorporates topics like social media, technology use, and current events that have a significant impact on student well-being. Lessons teach life skills for the modern day to inspire high-character decisions that support the health, happiness, and future success of students, while capturing data that provides insights to school leaders to inform school policy and communications, and enable high-impact teaching and a healthy learning environment. For schools, our turnkey technology allows for easy implementation and a comprehensive game plan to support the well-being of school communities. For schools, our turnkey technology allows for easy implementation and a comprehensive game plan to support the well-being of school communities.