On January 17, TikTok is on the brink of being banned in the U.S., causing distress among its dedicated users. Chelsea Rossi, a part-time real estate agent from Albany, New York, is thrilled about the impending ban, stating, "Honestly, I am happy about the ban. I feel like I don’t remember what life was like before TikTok."
The app, owned by China’s ByteDance, faces a potential U.S. ban unless a non-Chinese buyer is found. President Joe Biden's executive order aims to block new downloads from Apple or Google app stores and restrict companies from facilitating the app.
Despite efforts from some U.S. officials to prevent a shutdown, some users like Jennifer Whims of Snohomish County, Washington, hope the app disappears for good, feeling relief at the thought of the ban taking effect. Whims mentions uninstalling and reinstalling the app multiple times due to its addictive nature and impact on her daily life.
TikTok has become a cultural phenomenon, propelling influencers and celebrities to stardom and drawing advertisers with its vast user base. The app’s algorithm, tailored to individual user behaviors, contributes to its addictiveness, making it hard to stop watching once users start.
Andrew Coleburn, a software engineer in New York City, notes the app's dark side, expressing concerns about its impact on attention spans. Research supports the idea that TikTok is designed to encourage excessive use, leading to calls for regulation from various states.
Some users, like Abigail Green from Columbus, Ohio, see a potential ban as a positive step to reduce their time spent on the app. Struggling with addiction to scrolling through TikTok content for hours, Green compares letting go of TikTok to quitting smoking.
In anticipation of more free time post-TikTok ban, Coleburn plans to read more books, inspired by discoveries made through the app itself.