The topic of discussion lately is the upcoming TikTok ban scheduled for January 19th, 2025. That is less than a week away. However, President-elect Trump has shared his support for keeping the app. Within the past couple of days, there have been meetings in Congress to address the issue. The most recent meeting was yesterday January 13th, 2025. There has been progress on whether the app will stay. However, many Americans around the U.S. remain skeptical.
The TikTok ban has caused huge uproars in HHS in the past month with many of the students losing hope for the app staying. Many people are opposed to the ban; however, Sophomore Lucy Eagleson says, “I think it could be beneficial to get rid of the app, but it is not going to get rid of the problem that came with it.” This is a valid comment since TikTok has irreversibly affected the patience of many students, especially HHS students who consume short-form content.
Some students are terribly upset about the ban with Sophomore Sally Egan stating, “I am really sad because all my reposts and drafts are going to be gone. I am also not going to be that sad, though, because I got banned for sending DMs for no reason.” Many students are conflicted with the ban and could see the benefits, but also the potential negatives that come with it. Students at HHS believe that TikTok is their way of having free speech and a way to connect with others and potentially learn information that school has not taught them.
For many users who were on the app when it was called Musical.ly before rebranding to TikTok, this is very upsetting since years of memories will potentially be lost if the ban is put into place or not pushed to a later date. Many Congressmen have shown support for the app like Ruben Gallego running for Arizona’s senate.
Obviously, this is an ongoing issue in Congress and is continuing to be addressed, so if you are invested in the ban, make sure to keep up with the hearings being held. Additionally, call your local representatives to tell them to say NO to the bill of the upcoming TikTok ban being passed.
