Nationwide TikTok Ban - Yay or Nay for College Students?

For the last few months, discussions of a potential nationwide ban of the app ‘Tiktok’ have circulated the media. For college users - is this an upsetting cause for concern, or could the ban prove widely beneficial? 

Photo by Nik on Unsplash.

Since December 2022, lawmakers have discussed banning TikTok on a national scale. As of now, some college campuses across the country have already banned access to the app through school-owned devices and while on the schools’ Wi-Fi. 

Lawmakers like Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri have gone after TikTok for a federal ban and already proposed a nationwide ban for the United States. This matter has both democrats and republicans in agreement, with some states already banning the app on government-owned devices.

Across campus, students remain divided in their personal takes on the ban. While popularly used and beloved by much of the Marist student body, many fear that we have become too addicted to the platform and could use time without it. Read below to hear two opposing takes from students Mackenzie Boric and Anaiya Bobo. 

Mackenzie’s Take

A ban on TikTok across college campuses isn’t a bad idea. Already having national security issues attached to the app, it seems as though it has done more harm than good for young adults. As described by Rep. Mike Gallagher of Wisconsin, Tiktok is “digital fentanyl,” as reported by CNN.

The U.S. government has found national security threats from the app, more so with the app’s parent company ByteDance. After an internal investigation of the company, officials found they were tracking American citizens, including three Forbes journalists. This brings up the possibilities of what else they’ve been doing with users’ data. 

Before the rise of TikTok, lawmakers and everyday citizens had enough worries with other social media platforms and tracking.

TikTok was compared to a schedule II drug, as categorized by the DEA, by a representative, leaving people questioning how safe it is for students to be on the app. Dr. Nia Williams told the BBC  how the short and sweet videos tailored to your interests release dopamine within the brain, a “feel good” chemical that keeps us hooked on continuous scrolling. 

"It's very clever and it can be useful, however it can also be very destructive as it can lead to addiction to social media." Dr. Williams said.

Dr. Williams points out that Tiktok also has an algorithm that keeps track of certain things a viewer likes and feeds into that through the videos that pop up on one’s feed or “for you page.”

She goes on to suggest deleting the app for however long one needs to when they start questioning if they’re becoming addicted to TikTok. One of the prominent signs she includes is that if someone takes notice of the app interfering with their daily lives and tasks. 

Everything Dr. Williams mentioned about combating the growing addiction, I’ve done. Deleting the app becomes vital at times. As a college student, Tiktok becomes an escape from the burden of responsibilities that school piles on. It’s not a healthy escape, considering there are other hobbies to latch onto like journaling, reading, working out and so on. From personal experience, I have deleted the app along with other ones to regain my focus and remind myself of the priorities that need to matter to me at that moment. 

The ban on TikTok will not only help our national security issues, but it can bring improvement in college students’ relationship with being chronically online. 

Anaiya’s Take

A nationwide TikTok ban would be awful, and ultimately do more harm than good for college students. Don’t get me wrong – there’s no denying that this popular social media app is problematic for a multitude of reasons. But as an avid user, I’ve come to find that not all distractions are bad distractions. When used in moderation, Tiktok can be an incredibly useful outlet. While I understand the potential benefit of a ban, I think we’d find ourselves deprived of what over time has become an influential Gen Z-led knowledge source. 

Unlike other prominent social media platforms like Instagram and Snapchat, Tiktok provides a unique, interactive experience to users that promotes more “casual” interaction, while catering to the limited attention spans of modern consumers. Using appealing tactics like humor and relatability helps draw students into learning new information, often even subconsciously. 

According to study.com, 1 in 4 Americans use Tiktok to enrich their education, with over half doing so because it's easier to understand. Popular accounts like @dylan.page or major news accounts like @latelateshow keep students updated on real-world news in a modern, engaging way that is often easier to absorb than other sources. Additionally, many TikTok accounts also offer helpful insight on solutions to college-student struggles, such as learning to cook on a budget, tips for dorm living, positive mental health affirmations and more. 

Seeing other users and students undergoing the same experiences as you on a public platform can not only be comforting but empowering. With a personalized algorithm catered to the individual, students can nurture their interests and passions by connecting with users and their content from around the world. Long live Tiktok!