First & Foremost
YES, TikTok is the app known for its rather droll trends and dances. To a person with zero interest in learning something new, let alone experiencing something for themselves, to form their own opinion, TikTok will only appear as a nuisance. Unfortunately, most of the world consists of people who rely on fake headlines and the opinions of complete strangers. Everybody has become so dependent on others; most have forgotten how to stand alone.
There’s good and bad everywhere…
TikTok is an app on the WORLD WIDE WEB, aka public territory. Because of this, many faces and personalities will be brought to the same front. This is not the fault of TikTok. In fact, this happens everywhere, including but not limited to professional occupations (POLICE, HEALTHCARE, CHILDCARE, ETC.), Facebook, YouTube, the mall, the park, the library and IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD. We see it all the time! Police commit brutality acts, doctors and nurses kill, teachers are arrested for trafficking, and THE LIST GOES ON.
What amuses me is the fact that all these TikTok users will just bring their content over to Facebook, Instagram, X, Tumblr, YouTube, Clapper, and THE VAST AMOUNT OF SIMILAR SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS. People need to stop being dense. Banning one app does not fix any problems. Silly trends and public filming have always existed. In fact, my first encounter with this level of content was on YouTube. Now, I see a lot of it on Instagram and my Facebook feed.
Lack of Accountability & Lack of Parenting?
Don’t shoot the messenger; this is a rising study that I am noticing truth in. The belief that is being forced upon you about TikTok is due to false perception and propaganda. This app is no different from any other video feed app, such as Clapper and YouTube. If the problem with this app is due to child safety, as headlines claim, WHEN DID WE STOP HOLDING PARENTS ACCOUNTABLE? I ask this question genuinely, as my child and tweens are aware that they won’t have a social media account until they are 17.
Far too often, I see a child with a phone or tablet in their hand. Maybe I really am old fashioned, but when I am out and about with my child, I don’t hand them a device or push them off, claiming that I’ll be having an adult conversation that is not for their ears. If my child is with me, they will never feel excluded. I adjust my tone and conversation tactics for THEM. We did not give birth to children just to hand them a device and ignore their need for conversation and stimulation. Include your children and teens! I have digressed from my original point and will steer back to course now.
I will elaborate more on this subject in a more relevant blog about parenting. Stay tuned for the release.
Oh, By the Way… DISCORD EXISTS
I can’t even count on my fingers and toes (because there’s way too many), how many friends of mine that have said, “yea, my child uses this cool app called Discord, where they can safely chat with their friends.” Umm, pardon me? Do you have the slightest clue what discord is?
Simply put, Discord is a website and app that connects people. It is another form of social media that allows users to send chat, pictures, and videos to anyone they connect with. This communication app also allows for voice and video calls. ANYONE can sign up for and use Discord. This app is pretty much the perfect combination of a call / text app and social forum.
I have a few friends who thought the app was for gamers. This is a valid assumption, as that was the original purpose of the app. That is how most apps and websites begin; they’ll start with one purpose and expand onto many. As a website and social forum owner, I understand this. These websites and apps need to be able to expand, to meet new demands and flourish. AS PARENTS, it is our job to monitor what our children do on these apps.
It’s Our Fault! We decide what’s popular…
I was once a part of the “TikTok is a waste” squad. I didn’t know any better, because all I saw were silly trends and dancing in the middle of a Walmart. Do you know why that is? We are fed with what most of SOCIETY interacts with. Nobody pays attention to facts, studies, informational posts, and positivity. If everyone is so worried about what their children and teens are exposed to, why aren’t we making the things popular, in which we say they should be paying attention to? I think I need someone to explain this to me.
There is a song that talks about one nation being controlled by the media. That nation is the USA, and the song lyrics are sadly true. Most of our society falls trap to every video and headline that they see.
The GOOD that TikTok Brings
Before you start to think, “oh no, not another persuasive piece, HEAR ME OUT! TikTok has saved livelihoods and solved cases. It has given professionals a way to connect to younger crowds and share lifesaving or life-changing information. This app has really done its fair share of good to society.
Professionals Sharing Useful Information & Exposing FAKES
Among the content that I’ve seen on TikTok, a lot of it came from professionals such as lawyers, doctors, dentists, veterinarians, EMS / EMT, Police Officers, Cosmetologists and MUCH MORE. These professionals would share some of the most fascinating information. I learned a lot from lawyers and dentists. Not only that, but with TikTok’s STITCH and DUET features, professionals were able to CORRECT some very uneducated pretenders.
In the world of social media, you will run into MANY people who pretend to be dietitians, healthcare professionals, personal trainers and MORE. You will find these people on EVERY PLATFORM. They intend to gain a following, clout, brand deals, contract offers and more with this fake presentation. This is not only wrong and undercutting to the professionals who have perfected their art, but it is ILLEGAL. With TikTok, I LOVE HOW PROFESSIONALS COULD DIRECTLY STITCH OR DUET THE VIDEOS AND CALL THE PRETENDERS OUT.
Independent Contractors Could Earn in MORE WAYS
…& YES, They Pay Taxes
When most of us think of independent contractors, we think of lawn companies, repair workers, maids, nannies, etc. We hardly think of all the freelance work needed. Artists can sell their music or artwork. ASMR creators can earn while doing something so important; they help people sleep! There are many more independent contractors and freelance positions that have benefitted from TikTok. To the “GET A REAL JOB” crowd, independent contracting, and freelance work, as well as artistry, HAVE ALWAYS EXISTED! You are the social and societal version of a bitter blue-collar dad yelling at his artistic son.
Artists and independent contractors work hard! As an independent contractor, I work 16–18-hour days. We also must pay taxes on our earned income, which feeds the economy, especially since some of our income streams from worldwide sources. Imagine letting false information and headlines convince you to snub out economy building avenues. Oh, wait…
Because of the quickly rotating algorithm, music and dance artists can earn streams, recognition, deals and MUCH MORE. A field that used to be so hard to break into is now becoming easier to access. I’m sure the elites and “want to be a star?” program runners don’t like that very much. Could this have something to do with TikTok’s negative portrayal?
Solving Cases… Even YEARS LATER
Not only does TikTok help spread the correct information and help entrepreneurs, but it also helps solve cases, even years later. There was a particular case where (without going too far into detail) a girl named Alissa, who was murdered, received justice. TikTok helped her murderer receive a second-degree murder charge!
Not only does the TikTok app help solve big cases, but there are accounts dedicated to investigating stalking, cyber-crimes, bullying and MORE. There are numerous times where these accounts have not only tracked down the perpetrator, but also helped to raise awareness. People can see and learn first-hand how dangerous it can be to share too much information online. These crime stopping accounts also provide safety tips. This leads me to my next point.
Spreading Awareness & Safety Information
Let’s face it; a young person or teenager isn’t traveling to the county website for safety tips! If your teen or young adult friend DOES this, then bless them! With TikTok’s superb algorithm hashtags, tools & technology, life-saving and useful information makes its way to millions of people. This is NEVER a bad thing.
Trends and fads will always exist, with or without social media platforms. Everyone likes to say that things were better before social media yet fails to see how things went more unnoticed, with no record kept, before modern technology and social media breadcrumbs. With today’s technology, including TikTok, it’s even easier to track down chains of events, regarding your teen or loved one, if anything ever happens.
With so many plus sides, why ban ONLY ONE APP?
MY BIGGEST QUESTION IS, why would they only ban one social media app and not the dozens of others that exist? I have heard two answers on why the app is being banned in the USA: child safety concerns and the fact that it’s Chinese owned. There would be a slight chance of me believing the Chinese bit, if we weren’t allowing Chinese nationalists to purchase mass amounts of land, while allowing other Chinese owned apps and companies (disclaimer: this is not a hate statement against any country or ethnic group. This information is intended to disprove a certain reasoning). As far as safety concerns for children, my above statements should tell my answer. Parents need to be held accountable for their parenting, or lack thereof. Something tells me this isn’t about children though, considering the other live and legal apps that exist.
Jealousy, Gullibility & Ignorance of the People
False information and headlines aren’t the only culprits. Jealousy and ignorance play a huge part as well. Most of our population consists of average and lower-class citizens. Combine this information with the fact that everyone believes what they see online, and you will receive vast amounts of envy, jealousy, and ignorance to why these feelings are even being felt. People prove to be EXTREMELY gullible as well.
As a creator on Facebook, my professional page is monetized. TikTok, YouTube and other platforms have ways of paying creators as well. The more views and interactions people have, the more they will earn. This causes people to say and do the most, just to make people comment on their content. People will rent houses, use green screens, and fib through their teeth about their life and income. This happens quite often. Take “The Beverly Halls” for example. This is not an attempt to speak negatively about anybody, as this information came directly from them, via their videos. They do not own the mansion they live in. Her husband is not OCD nor a clean freak. The house must stay clean because it is on the market (for sale) and not owned by them. You are being TRICKED into thinking this family has more money than they do.
ANOTHER FAMOUS CREATOR, who does a “Mexican word of the day” bit, has a huge following. He receives all kinds of offers and freebies. He has also been offered $1,000 here and there, to promote brands. While these are great deals and offers, he is nowhere near rich (all this information comes from what he chooses to share publicly, on Facebook). I know someone working in sales, with a MUCH higher income. Stop believing everything you see online and letting it build jealousy, causing you to ban something for reasons that only exist in your mind.
The Gatekeepers
If everyone were equal, there would be no such thing as the top. With everyone gaining the same opportunities, there would be less need for Hollywood acceptance and winning shows. This doesn’t make good for the shows that earn a killing from ad revenue. Why watch American Idol when these singers can post their talent online? With ways to build and market online businesses and revenue streams, less people are taking out student loans and paying hundreds of thousands to colleges and universities. Do you see where I am going with this?
THIS is why our freedoms and opportunities are being stripped from us, in the form of laws and regulations (banning everything like communists do). Do you not see the bigger picture yet? The billionaires and elites can’t stay above you if there are avenues allowing you to catch up. Do what you will with that information and stop being dependent on other people to think on your behalf.
In Conclusion
The ban of one app makes zero sense, especially due to the given reasoning. Lack of parenting and attentiveness will not be fixed by changing laws and creating bans. Also, if our children were truly cared for, there would be more than the ban of a single app in place to protect them. As I have stated before, the Chinese bit might make a little sense if we banned more Chinese related apps, companies, and programs, as well as protecting more of our land (disclaimer: this is not a hate statement against any country or ethnic group. This information is intended to disprove a certain reasoning).
The true reasoning behind this ban seems to be a bit more PERSONAL. With easier access to opportunities, the middlemen, aka colleges and universities, are cut out. With easier access to releasing art, talent shows and agencies are cut out. There is CERTAINLY reason to assume that these well-suited companies could have paid their way into wiping out such an intimidating competition. This is just something to think about and let marinate.
Have any thoughts or information to add? Let’s talk about it!
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