The platform TikTok has been an integral part of the social media world since its debut in 2016. After its parent company ByteDance’s merger with Musical.ly a year later, it became a sensation of 30-second dances to popular songs, internet challenges, “get ready with me” routines, travel vlogs and more, capturing the attention of people worldwide.
However, with the recent TikTok ban enforced on Jan. 18, this community that had been built over so many years was in danger of being lost for good. Around the country, influencers and individuals alike were sent into a spiral.
Content creators and users of TikTok expressed disappointment and sadness as the app went dark that Saturday night in January. Many expressed their worries for the app’s future. Edie Creamer, a freshman biology major at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota, said that many people she is acquainted with had reactions similar to this. She also expressed her thoughts on the severity of reactions she saw online.
“I wonder how people would’ve reacted differently if it was Snapchat or Instagram getting banned,” Creamer said. “It was really interesting to see people’s response to TikTok’s ban, they started posting the same screenshots. People were running around in shock, spreading the word.”
The ban lasted roughly 12 hours until being reinstated by an executive order passed by Donald Trump on the day of his inauguration. As of Feb. 24, Google Play and Apple are also no longer prohibited from offering the app for download or updating on their app stores in the U.S.
Creamer said that after the 12-hour ban was lifted, her feed changed.
“I think my algorithm after the ban became way more political and less personalized,” she added. “It seemed like propaganda that both notifications about the shutdown included Trump. I feel like I lost a sense of individuality on the app.”
Olivia Mondragon, a freshman at Ensign College, believes that the decision to remove TikTok and later restore it had positive and negative aspects.
“In my opinion, the TikTok ban was in a way good because I wasn’t constantly scrolling wasting my time,” she said. “I think that it was brought back so fast because so many people use TikTok as a form of self-expression, and they’ve also built their careers on the platform. Taking it away from us is hurting more than helping.”
Over 1 million influencers or creators are currently on the TikTok platform. More than 100,000 of these creators have named social media their primary income source. The permanent ban of the app, which President Trump has postponed until April 5, places all of these influencers in jeopardy.
There are many influencers in Utah. Trends like “dirty sodas” and the classic “Utah Style” have flooded the internet through 30-second clips created by TikTok creators.
Creamer added that friends she follows on other social media platforms were using the ban to express anger toward the recent election in November 2024 and blaming different administrations for various actions, including the banning of TikTok.
With the app’s future uncertain until April, it is difficult to determine what other changes may occur.
“At the end of the day, I was happy when it shut down because it consumes too much of my time but I hope for the sake of other creators and creativity that a solution can be determined,” Creamer said.
