By: Jasleen Leon-Sanchez
Previously named Musically, TikTok has made a significant impact on Gen Z´s life. Approximately 44.7% of TikTok users come from that age group alone. TikTok has a way of connecting with its users through a variety of entertainment forms such as comedy, motivation, political awareness, and much more. Many online even go as far as to say that TikTok is the highlight of their day.
As seen, the Supreme Court has recently announced the banning of TikTok. Under suspicion of a violation of privacy, the U.S. decided that banning TikTok from American users was the best solution. With this ban, American users would not be able to download or access TikTok starting January 19th, 2025.
Credit: Jasleen
Reasonably, this sent TikTok users into a frenzy. Many believed that not only was this ban unconstitutional, but it was also a plot to prevent Americans from knowing what was going on in the world. While some felt lost, others felt the need to seek a new app as a replacement, RedNote being one of the apps.
”I’m definitely very very upset, TikTok is my go-to app. That’s how I get all my info and all my jokes. It is basically my Google, I search up everything I like, so it’s [kind of] devastating.” – Analizta Casteneda, prior to the Tik Tok ban.
On January 19th the ban was upheld and American users were kicked off TikTok. For Pacific Eastern Time, this happened on January 18th around 8:00 pm. Immediately after, many went to alternate apps such as Instagram and Snapchat to mourn the loss of their favorite app.
On January 19th, everyone awoke to a pleasant surprise. Around 9:00 am, TikTok was back online. Americans filled comment sections with celebrations and happiness. Not only Generation Z, but even the older generations felt the joy of getting this app back.
TikTok is a hit app and will continue to be for a lot of people. What is known at the moment is that the U.S. was only granted a 90-day extension with the app. Many users have jokingly expressed that they are left feeling as if they are in the middle of a custody battle between the owner of the app TikTok and the U.S. government. Users have already claimed that if another banning was to happen, they would band together and try to save the app.