The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday upheld a proposed ban of the popular social media platform TikTok, despite lawyers arguing that the ban violates the First Amendment.
TikTok has more than 150 million users in the United States. At least some of that total includes Chapman students, faculty and staff.
TikTok not only provides students with engaging, fast-paced content but also uses a unique algorithm to keep the viewer hooked.
Despite the app’s popularity, security concerns persist. The app is owned by Chinese company ByteDance, and U.S. government officials worry about data being stolen by a rival country.
President Joe Biden, who will finish his term this weekend, has decided to leave any executive action to President-elect Donald Trump. Trump supported a TikTok ban during his first term but has since softened on the platform, citing his popularity with younger voters on the app.
It is unclear at the moment what exactly Trump could do and how long any sort of action would last, but he has promised a decision soon.
Science teacher Britteny Feagan said she sees both sides of the issue but notes that TikTok has had a negative effect on students.
“I really feel like the idea of really short, fast videos has shortened the attention span of some students,” she said.
Junior Grayson Pruitt said he uses the app to keep up with people and events.
“I’m upset about the TikTok ban because it’s a good way to keep up with current world events,” he said. “It has a lot of good culture on it and plenty of communities, and it gives me a great way to connect with friends.”
The TikTok ban could force students off social media and on to other activities. But sophomore Tommy Wheeler said that he’ll just refocus his attention to a different app:
“Once it gets banned, I’m going to watch Instagram reels.”