Howdy! I’m Izzy. I am a junior here at CCHS, and this will be my third year as staff on the USJ. I will go into this year as the Editor-in-Chief! I love news and opinions and if I’m not writing you can catch me reading a new book, spending time with friends, or going to a concert. I enjoy reading all different perspectives and I’m excited to see what this year holds! As a journalist I strive to present information to the public in a way that is digestible, as well as exploring different perspectives and experiences. I hold a strong love for journalism and hope to continue it throughout my life, whether through photography or writing.
After failing to reach the U.S. Congress, TikTok went dark on Jan. 18. 14 hours later, President Donald Trump stalled the ban for 75 days, extending the app’s lifespan until April 5. Tiktok once again failed to meet Congress’ demands and has had another 75 day extension to find an American buyer.
With the Supreme Court finding Congress’ law that banned TikTok constitutional, the ban was put into effect just 14 hours before President Trump began his term. Since then the president has given the app two 75 day extensions.
“I think it’s a good thing and a bad thing,” senior Cash Godbel said. “With TikTok being a large part of peoples’ daily lives, it is able to give influencers on their platform a way to make a living.”
Some Creek students were shocked by the fact that TikTok was actually banned and didn’t realize until hours later. “I guess I never thought that it would actually happen,” Godbel said. “So I didn’t delete the app.”
Due to the ban starting at 8:30 pm MT and lasting only 14 hours, some students were able to sleep through the ban.
“I played video games some more then I went to sleep and when I woke up I went into TikTok,” sophomore Ethan Kamensky said.
Creek students have predicted that if the ban is upheld there will be a shift over to another platform. They themselves will move over to fill the gap TikTok is leaving once it’s banned.
“Once TikTok gets banned, everyone’s just gonna switch over to the next big social media platform,” Kamensky said. “I need another form of short form content to stimulate my brain.”
TikTok is not the first short form platform that has been extremely popular, other apps like Vine and Musical.ly had a similar rise to fame. The primary difference between TikTok and other apps is the much longer video slots.
Students have already been using multiple apps as entertainment and have replacements for TikTok.
Some students felt nothing during the 14 hours because they had alternatives to rely on. “The ban didn’t affect me since I had Instagram Reels,” sophomore Olivia Huh said.
Students have found that each platform has its unique characteristics and can be used for different purposes. “Instagram Reels is a little less filtered out compared to TikTok, which makes the content even more entertaining,” Huh said. “It’s a platform that most people have compared to TikTok.”
“There’s so much exposure through TikTok, and I feel like they don’t get that anywhere else,” Godbel said.