Many students were in full panic when TikTok briefly disappeared on Jan 19, but were greatly relieved when the app came back online the next day. But the thing is, maybe it would be better if TikTok didn’t come back at all. The app, like much of social media, has been damaging our mental health, and with TikTok owner ByteDance now facing a 75-day extension to sell the app before it’s permanently banned in the U.S.—a deadline issued through President Trump’s Jan. 20 executive order—it’s time to consider whether a TikTok-free world might actually benefit students here at Creek and across the country.
Four years ago, I made the hard decision to delete TikTok. Like any person who has made the decision, getting rid of social media is hard. You begin to feel left out and that you are missing out on things in life. The reality was that it was the best decision I’ve made.
Throughout high school, I have never had to deal with the toxicity of social media. I have been able to live in reality and not on a screen. I have built strong friendships and relationships with many different people, but most importantly I have become a happier person, but for others I know they aren’t as fortunate.
The drastic rise in social media usage has caused many issues among teens in the last two decades. These apps have led to cyberbullying, along with anxiety, depression, body dysmorphia, dopamine addictions, and shortened attention spans in teens today.
Reported symptoms of chronic depression increased in youth by 52% from 2005 to 2017. Reports also say that now 31.9% of adolescents have been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, while in 2005 only a 2.46% average of teens were diagnosed.
Many teens face bullying in real life, but for bullies, the internet makes it easier for them as they don’t face the same repercussions, this has created prevalent cyberbullying and this commentary has serious negative effects on them today. Negative comments toy with teens’ mental states, which is why social media has become a leading cause of mental health issues in teens.
While teens are flooded with negativity on these apps, they still get addicted, and this is because of dopamine highs. Things like positive comments, likes, follows, etc. all lead to the release of dopamine in your brain which creates a sense of pleasure. These dopamine highs create addictions that don’t allow people to get off these toxic platforms.
Yes, social media is harming teens, but it’s harming them as students too. I’ve noticed in class that students can’t put their phones down and don’t get their work done. Due to these apps, they become more focused on their image or what people say about them rather than focusing on their work. Students are harming themselves and their future, and they don’t even realize it.
While the TikTok ban won’t end all social media usage by any means, it will take down one of the most used platforms and with that take down the hate and the distractions.
The end of TikTok could be a new beginning for teens today. While many will be disappointed by the ban, some toxicity might go away, the constant connection might die down, students might be able to focus better, and they might become happier.
