It’s become increasingly clear as the TikTok ban looms that people who are not active on it have literally zero clue the impact that app has on so many things. It is unlike any social media app ever. It has been a place to develop community, start a business, learn, get unbiased news, have impactful discussions, entertain, and so much more. 

Everyone thinks it’s just a dancing app, because that’s how it started. The dancing became a very small part of the app during Covid and has expanded to cover literally every topic on the planet since. There is an entire main tab dedicated to STEM. People have escaped poverty just off their content revenue. Others have started entire businesses using TikTok shop. Over 7 MILLION businesses. Yes, it has a lot of temu/shein like products, just like marketplace and ebay. It also has millions of quality products genuinely made by small businesses. Artists have found their audience without selling their soul to a label. Do yall realize that app dictates the music charts?? Just TODAY a man has raised over $400,000 in 6 hours for an elderly woman in need after posting a video mowing her overgrown yard for her for free that gained a lot of traction. People with disabilities have found a way to earn a living using TikTok. I’ve personally learned to manage my NDs/anxiety/depression much better from TikTok creators. I’ve seen politicians lies dissected in real time. I’ve seen firsthand accounts of MANY situations that have been covered up, barely spoken of, or straight up lied about. NC hurricane response, Gaza, Ukraine, and many more. And no, you shouldn’t just trust anyone who tells you something, no matter the app, and you should ALWAYS look up the sources and figure things out for yourself, but people have started very important conversations on that app that are not being had other places. 

There is no app that can currently replace TikTok. Zuck thinks we’re just gonna default to reels?? Well he’s certainly lobbied enough hundreds of millions to get TikTok shut down, so he must. Personally I’m deactivating and deleting all my meta shit on the 19th. Many congressmembers are Meta shareholders. Fuck their wallets, and fuck Zuck at the same time. TikTok may be national security risk, but it is not the people at risk. The threat is to the government’s control of the flow of information. Make absolutely no mistake, the purpose of the ban is censorship, not data security, or all social media apps would be targeted by the bill. This one is already a cesspool and firmly in the hands of their manchild. Zuck is paying them all off and blowing them at the same time. They cannot control TikTok, so they need it gone. If it was truly a data security issue, why did so many politicians WHO VOTED AGAINST THE APP have active accounts on there? They campaigned on that app!! (cough Jeff Jackson cough) I’ve never seen one person’s mind changed in a twitter or fb debate. They’re not even debates, just shouting matches. I have seen so so so many people have honest and open dialogue on TikTok and ACTUALLY changed peoples minds. TikTok is the ants finding out there are more of them than there are grasshoppers. So no, this is not just people having to log off of their dancing app. This is suppression, and it is worse than anyone on the outside looking in thinks.