Like any other teenager or everyday American, I use TikTok. I describe the action of use loosely because, by using it, I spend my weekends caught in a trance of mindlessly scrolling for 30 minutes before my screen time has to pull me off the app. TikTok has had a huge impact on my own life and the friends and family around me. It has overwhelming power, not only over the lives of individuals but also over the entirety of our country.

It’s an open secret that TikTok has left an indelible mark on various aspects of our society, from social behavior and fashion trends to humor, consumerism, politics and national unity.

Recently, the dangerously massive influence of TikTok over our entire country has been brought to our attention. 

 The fact that TikTok can single-handedly drive nationwide product sales is a testament to its influence. This raises serious questions about the extent of its reach and its implications for Americans. Our government has noted this and is particularly concerned about potential national security threats.

Our government’s concern lies with Chinese technology firm ByteDance Ltd., the owner of TikTok. There is fear that their government could possibly demand data from users in the United States because it is beholden to the Chinese government. This fear stems from the fact that there are regulatory laws in place that compel Chinese companies to assist in intelligence gathering. 

The House has passed a bill to ban TikTok if it refuses to sell to an American company. So far, there has been no further notice of what will happen. Banning TikTok would give almost everyone free time to look up from their phones and keep us safe, but it would do so at the expense of jobs and creativity.

So, while it is disappointing to see that TikTok, an outlet of creativity that is a big unifying factor of our generation, is also a great threat to our overall security. I love TikTok more than anyone else because of how much of my niche interests and new interests I get from there. It is, however, ignorant to disregard the blatant issue here.