Tik Tok creates community
Juniors Cassidy Gilliam and Abby Anderson create a Tik Tok in the hall. They are adding to the creative community that can be discovered on the app.
November 9, 2020
Students have used Tik Tok as a way to come together and create these last few years. With the threat of Tik Tok being banned by the U.S. government for security concerns, people have been left wondering what will happen to the community created on the app and what will replace it.
Tik Tok creates a lot of connections within the app. Having Tik Tok banned could lead to loss of community between people that would not otherwise talk, meet or share their content.
I was able to go viral on one of my videos, of me dancing and that honestly brought up my self confidence about dancing.
— Samuel Ness
Sophomore Avery Braunshausen said the app creates, “a lot of relatable content,” and students can come together over things that they mutually enjoy.
Junior Amelia Bretl added, “it just brings up what you have in common with other people. There’s definitely a community.”
Tik Tok has been one of the most prominent platforms of entertainment for the younger generation over the last two years. Not only is the app used as a space to share creative ideas, but as a place to communicate with others.
“A lot of my communication between my friends right now is like jokes, almost like surrounding Tik Tok,” Braunshausen said. “It’s one of my main sources of like, entertainment, especially like social media wise.”
With the community of the app, there comes a lot of support. It can become a platform that boosts self confidence and helps people come out of their shell.
“I was able to go viral on one of my videos of me dancing, and that honestly brought up my self confidence about dancing,” junior Samuel Ness said.
Bretl explained that Tik Tok, “let’s me have a brain break.”
Ness added that it can provide, “a break that I need.”
Along with the ban, students predict that other media platforms will come along to fill the empty space left by Tik Tok. Just as what happened when Vine, Musically and other media platforms that disappeared. Either new apps will come to take the space, or preexisting apps will just become more prominent.
Ness believes that he would, “just replace it with YouTube.”
Braunshausen added that the absence of TikTok would, “be a promotion to Instagram reels,” and that’s where, “a lot of the content would switch over too.”
Although many see the ban of Tik Tok as a negative experience, it may have a positive effect on the students who use it.
As Braunshausen explained, she “might feel a little more productive and proactive,” if she is no longer able to use the app.
“I was able to go viral on one of my videos of me dancing and that honestly brought up my self confidence about dancing” , said Samuel Ness
