What Does a TikTok Ban for Teens and their Social Media Use?
Photo by Solen Feyissa on Unsplash
On Wednesday, March 13, The House of Representatives passed a measure that would lead to a nationwide ban of the popular video app TikTok if its China-based owner does not sell its stake within six months. If ByteDance sells TikTok, the app could continue to operate in the U.S. if President Biden determines that the platform is “no longer being controlled by a foreign adversary.” This is not the first time the government has tried to ban TikTok. In 2020, then-president Donald Trump signed an executive order to ban the app due to national security concerns.
Lawmakers are concerned that TikTok poses a national security threat because it is owned by Chinese technology firm ByteDance Ltd. The argument most commonly cited is that given ByteDance is subject to the Chinese government and CCP (the Chinese Communist Party), U.S. customer user data could be demanded at any time. However, during a Senate hearing on March 23, 2023, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew denied that TikTok shares data with the Chinese Communist Party. Critics of the bill argue that it violates the First Amendment rights of American TikTok users by removing a platform that they use to express themselves, communicate, and receive information.
What’s next for the future of TikTok? If the House bill passes in the Senate, then it would become law to the extent President Biden signs it. If so, it would be illegal to distribute apps developed by ByteDance, and App stores (i.e., the Play Store for Android users and the App Store for Apple users) would be forbidden from hosting any banned app, and Americans could lose access to the app(s) unless the company divests TikTok within six months. However, at this time, the Senate has not taken up the House bill. President Biden stated earlier this month that he would sign legislation that could lead to a ban on the app. The proposal also could be delayed as TikTok challenges its legality in court.
What does this mean for teens and their social media use? According to a study on “Teens, Social Media and Technology 2023” conducted by the Pew Research Center, 63 percent of teens ages 13 to 17 say they use TikTok. In addition, 58 percent of teens are daily users of TikTok. This includes 17 percent who describe their TikTok use as almost constant. According to Pew Research, teen TikTok users are far more likely to oppose than support a ban (68 percent compared to seven percent).
A U.S. government ban on TikTok could incentivize users to attempt to access the app using alternative methods, such as through VPNs (Virtual Private Networks). If TikTok disappeared tomorrow, users could migrate to other social media sites to create or consume short-form videos, such as YouTube Shorts or Instagram Reels. However, many users argue that other social media platforms fail to replicate TikTok's highly effective algorithm, which is tailored to users in a way that Instagram Reels or YouTube Shorts are not (to date), making it particularly appealing to users. For roughly 170 million Americans, TikTok is a platform that allows them to connect with others, entertain, and access vital information. Furthermore, TikTok is a platform where some teens earn a living – an effective ban could cause an immediate loss of access to the audience of followers they had worked to build, negatively affecting content creators’ livelihoods. While many content creators cross-post to different platforms, research has shown that, as of mid-2024, TikTok commands superior engagement rates with content. Even though many creators maintain accounts across platforms, the audiences may be different and may interact with content differently on TikTok vs. Reels or YouTube Shorts.
Not all teens are clamoring to view TikTok videos. According to a survey conducted by “The New York Times” in April of 2023, some teens supported a ban on TikTok because they claimed that the app was time-consuming and removing the app would improve their mental health. This claim assumes a shift in behavior that may be unlikely, as a ban on TikTok may not lead teens to spend less time on their phones. TikTok's appeal lies in its diverse range of videos, including dances, recipes, book recommendations, funny clips, and more, however, this content can be replicated on other platforms. A ban on TikTok may not be the great panacea that some lawmakers believe - teens would likely seek out similar content on alternative platforms and apps.