On February 14th, 2025, TikTok returned to the Apple App Store and Google Play Store after three weeks of being out of commision, a result of the Trump administration’s actions to delay the TikTok ban for 75-days. Due to the Trump administration’s efforts to bring part or even all of TikTok under US ownership, the ban is likely to be delayed indefinitely. However, questions still remain about the app’s effect on young minds and its security risks. Additionally, new questions arise on the ethics of Trump being able to halt a ban that was imposed by the Supreme Court. Although TikTok has some benefits, the return of the app poses dangers to American users.
One of the most prevalent dangers of TikTok is its effect on the youth, especially in terms of its addictiveness. According to a study conducted in 2022 by the Frontiers in Psychology journal, TikTok is the most addictive of all social media platforms. The average TikTok user spends more than 90 minutes a day on the app, according to statistics from TikTok. The average teen user spends nearly two hours a day on TikTok. Tiktok’s short-form content makes it easy for users to waste large amounts of time on the app.
“Scrolling on TikTok isn’t very purposeful, and it’s very easy to get stuck in the loop of just scrolling. It’s a huge waste of time if you don’t realize you’re scrolling, which happens to a lot of people,” junior Sanika Neka said.
This excessive use of the app also shortens users’ attention spans. TikTok users are used to absorbing information conveyed in 30 to 60 second long videos, leading them to have trouble comprehending longer sources of information. Not only can TikTok users struggle with absorbing information from written sources, but some no longer even have the attention spans for television series. The shortened attention spans of teenagers are obstructions to their education.
“I’ve realized [TikTok] impacting my friends in multiple ways,” Neka said. “Number one, it definitely takes away their attention span. Sometimes, they talk to me about how it’s really hard to focus for them in class. It’s harder for them to achieve their goals.”
Moreover, TikTok spreads misinformation. One benefit of TikTok is that it allows users to be introduced to new things. These can be as simple as new hobbies but can stimulate more interest in civic engagement and social justice. However, this spread of information also has consequences. Much of the spread information is not accurate and based purely on the opinion of content creators. Sometimes, misinformation can even be weaponized, especially in the form of political agendas. This leads users to have warped perspectives on real issues.
“I think a lot of people I’ve talked to have a lot of false information that they get off of Tiktok, and I feel like a lot of people perceive that as them being knowledgeable about things, but really it’s just them hearing things and then believing it,” freshman Inaya Khan, a TikTok user, said.
Furthermore, TikTok poses security threats. TikTok is owned by the Chinese internet company ByteDance. The Chinese government is known to invasively surveil and disrespect the privacy of those it considers a threat and even its own people. Although no exact proof has been found of China invading the privacy of Americans, it has the motive and means to do so. Nonetheless, many users still ignore the security risks of TikTok.
“I don’t think that there are particularly any security risks, as opposed to just any other app… If you want to [use the app], you’re doing that out of your own volition,” Khan said.
This argument, that individuals should be able to make their own choices regarding the security risks of TikTok, is based on the presumption that the leaking of their information will only affect them. However, their information can be used in algorithms to create a profile for the average American citizen, which affects the country as a whole. The potential security risks of TikTok were enough for both Democrats and Republicans to agree to a ban. In both the Senate and the House of the Representatives, the legislation against TikTok was passed by an overwhelming majority. It was approved by the Supreme Court. Yet, by signing a few executive orders, Trump was able to overturn the ruling.
“Despite the fact that I do understand why he made his decision, I don’t think that the President should be able to overrule the Supreme Court, because that would erase a system of checks and balances we have in the US,” Khan said.
In Trump’s first term, he actually supported the possibility of a TikTok ban. The President has repeatedly expressed his antagonism to China, especially in the form of tariffs. He still holds fast to his views and hopes to have part of TikTok sold to Americans. However, he no longer supports the ban of TikTok likely because it aided in his reelection. Trump’s post over TikTok appealed to young voters, convincing them to vote for him. In addition, his decision to delay the ban made him extremely popular with younger generations, which could make it easier to put forth his political agendas in the future.
“I honestly think that Trump would want the platform to keep going, because it was something that he found value in getting his political things out,” Khan said.
Due to the executive branch’s efforts to prevent the ban and its unpopularity among the majority of Americans, the ban is unlikely to be effective again. However, its return brings many disadvantages. One of the biggest reasons why this issue is so controversial is because it is only dealt with in extremes. During the Biden administration, TikTok was banned entirely, but the Trump administration almost completely reinstated it. Finding the middle ground in this issue is difficult.
“I think in an ideal world, everything would be considered: the benefits and drawbacks that it proposes to society and individuals,” Neka said. “A conclusion would be made about how to best make sure that we optimize the benefits of Tiktok, because there definitely are benefits, while making sure we try to move away from many and deep consequences that it has.”