The TikTok ban seems to be a yearly thing, creating mass destruction in users’ lives. Each year, the approaching possibility of a ban resurfaces, sending shockwaves through the minds of millions of users who rely on the platform for entertainment, self-expression, and even finances. This recurring threat creates a ripple effect of uncertainty, leaving people wondering how their digital communities, creative outlets, and sources of income might be impacted. In the US, 170 million people use TikTok. Out of these users, 22% of teenagers spend 2-3 hours a day on the app. Even though the ban never goes into effect, many people legitimize the notice.

According to John Brandon from Forbes, the three-judge panel upholding the court hearing about the TikTok ban sided with the Justice Department in a law that would ban TikTok from distribution on app stores. The ban, approved by Congress and President Biden earlier this year, made provisions for the Chinese company that owns TikTok, called Bytedance until January 19 of next year to sell the app or shut it down entirely in the United States.

“The Government acted solely to protect that freedom from a foreign adversary nation and to limit that adversary’s ability to gather data on people in the United States,” Senior Judge Douglas Ginsburg said in the majority opinion of a court ruling. 

While this may seem like a good choice for the U.S., many students become affected by this ban. Whether the effect be a social, financial, or entertainment issue.

“I use TikTok for a financial purpose to make money, I am a content creator,” senior Yishi “Bella” Wang said. “I’m from China, so I have two TikTok accounts, one for home, and one for America. From an American perspective, I think the ban is kind of stupid, TikTok is just an entertainment source.”

The main reason people use TikTok revolves around entertaining themselves. While this may seem like a much-used excuse for using the app, it remains the most important part of TikTok. Without the app, no one would be able to reveal their talents, ideas, or style in the most effective way for viewers to see.

“I think banning TikTok is wrong because people use the app to express themselves in different ways, no matter if that’s dancing, wanting to talk to people, giving people learning lessons, and just stuff like that,” sophomore Acasia Nelson said. “I hope they don’t ban TikTok because I use it to find my outfit inspirations, do my hair, to do everything.” 

On the other hand, some students feel that a ban would be the best way to stop the spread of hate in society.

“I think the government should ban TikTok, there’s a lot of bad things happening on the app, so it makes sense,” freshman Kerrigan O’Bannon said. “There’s a lot of people that can bully and a lot of false information happening.”

Even though the ban on TikTok will contribute to the cause of preventing cyberbullying, it will affect the way information spreads, which causes conflicts.

“I don’t think banning TikTok is a very good idea because that’s where a lot of teens get their information these days,” sophomore Emma Kate Taylor said. “I feel like without it, nobody’s going to be in the know of anything.”