The TikTok Ban Saga: A Political Carnival
The ongoing saga of the TikTok ban in the United States has been nothing short of a political carnival, with both major parties seemingly more interested in shallow contrarian opposition and profits than addressing the genuine dangers the app poses to society and mental health.
Trump’s Executive Order: The Ban Begins
In August 2020, President Donald Trump signed an executive order to ban TikTok, citing national security concerns and the app’s ties to the Chinese government. The order required ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, to sell the app to a US proxy or face a nationwide ban. Trump was vocal about the effort, repeatedly taking credit for the ban in national media.
Legal Challenges and Biden’s “Troll” Response
The ban faced legal challenges, with two federal judges halting the effort near the end of Trump’s presidency. When President Joe Biden took office in 2021, his administration revoked and replaced the ban with an approach described by legal experts as “trolling” the previous administration.
The “Sell or Ban” Law and Supreme Court Ruling
In 2024, Biden signed a new law stating that TikTok would be banned unless sold within a year. ByteDance, however, openly stated they had no plans to sell the service. The Supreme Court ultimately upheld the incoming ban, resulting in a full shutdown of TikTok services in the US just one day before Trump’s return to office.
Trump’s Reversal: Saving TikTok?
On his first day back in office, Trump signed a new executive order preventing the TikTok ban from being enforced for 75 days, effectively taking credit for “saving” the app. This move came despite no credible indication that TikTok was any closer to a sale agreement.
The Real Dangers: Mental Health and Societal Impact
Amidst the political posturing, the genuine dangers of TikTok have been largely overlooked. Research has shown that the app is profoundly damaging to young minds, activating the same brain regions as hard drugs and emphasizing feelings of time-distortion, anxiety, and proneness to boredom. The idea that “it’s just the kids, so who cares” is a dangerously detached perspective.
The RedNote Irony
In a twist of irony, the brief TikTok ban drove hundreds of thousands of American users to sign up for Xiaohongshu (RedNote), a purely Chinese app with even more obvious data collection practices and strict censorship policies. This migration defeated the purpose of the ban and highlighted the absurdity of the situation.
Conclusion: A Circus of Partisan Clowns
The TikTok ban saga has exposed the circus-like nature of American politics, with both parties twisting and contorting themselves for political gain while ignoring the app’s real dangers. As the country rejoices at TikTok being “saved,” it’s clear that partisan politics and profits have taken precedence over the well-being of the nation’s youth and society as a whole.
