TikTok: Should this popular app be banned?

Brianna Sloop, IV Leader Columnist

TikTok is a social media app that is very popular in today’s generation. People use the app to post videos of themselves and friends doing things such as lip-syncing, dancing, expressing themselves and their beliefs, and also being creative. On the app, you can follow creators and also post your own content. The content on the app ranges from lip-syncing and dancing to singing and sharing beliefs.

Many creators become “TikTok famous” or go viral by posting videos and getting many likes, comments, and shares. Minor TikTok celebrities have followings of about 100,000 plus, while some of the biggest TikTok stars have more than 10 million followers. There is now a creator fund that pays creators based on their views and interactions.

 TikTok gives people of all ages the chance to have fun and be creative. However not all of the content on the app would be considered “kid friendly”. Although TikTok has pretty strict community guidelines that they follow in order to keep the app appropriate, there are some videos that slip through the cracks. This is why it is suggested that if parents do allow their children to download the app, they should put their child’s account on private and monitor their children, as they should for any social media.

President Trump has promised to ban the use of one of the most creative outlets, TikTok in the United States. Allegedly this is because he worries that the information of users is going to be sold by the Chinese company who owes it, however there are rumors that it is for other reasons. One theory states that President Trump wants to ban TikTok because the users ruined his rally in Texas by registering tickets and not showing up to the rally.

Whatever the reason President Trump has for wanting this app banned, it goes against our rights as citizens of the United States. TikTok has created 1,000 jobs for Americans and plans to create 10,000 more soon, and it has allowed people to express their creativity. Banning the app would cause many teens to feel lost and to feel as though they can no longer express themselves. Instead of banning the app, precautions should be made to ensure the safety of users.