In recent years, social media platforms have become extremely widespread and have had a large impact on people, especially among the younger generation. TikTok, a video sharing app from China, is becoming increasingly popular, especially among teenagers. However, the United States is considering the idea of banning TikTok due to concerns of privacy. This issue has reached many people, and it has slowly become a wider debate about social media regulation and its impact on children everywhere.
The potential ban on TikTok has become so relevant recently due to worries of data leakage and concerns of the fact that it is a Chinese owned app. Experts are saying that there are serious signs of the app stealing users’ personal data, which is quite clearly not something that we are okay with. In response to these concerns, Donald Trump gave orders attempting to ban TikTok unless it was sold to a company that was operating on US soil. This wouldn’t ever fully come into effect though, at least for now.
Recently, the debate on Tik Tok has also been related to concerns on when kids should have access to social media. People that want to ban social media for kids argue that these platforms can have negative effects on children’s mental health, social life, and safety. They point to stories of kids being cyberbullied and being exposed to inappropriate content. Social media is also really addictive, which affects kids being able to find other hobbies.
On the other hand, banning social media from children seems to be limiting their ability to have free speech. Social platforms can reach such broad audiences that kids can feel seen and be able to present their views for anyone to see. It can be argued that banning this would be an infringement of these kids’ rights. Social media also can be used to connect with others and make new friends, which is another valid argument brought up by many.
If the US were to ban Tik Tok, there could be potential for many other events similar to this. Social media has not been regulated as much as other forms of internet, so a big event such as this could cause others to stand up for what they believe in. Social media regulation could be an extremely relevant political concern in the next 10 years as the internet continues to expand and develop. For now, though, only time will tell the future of social media.
