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Goodbyes are Tough: Saying Goodbye to TikTok

Goodbyes are Tough: Saying Goodbye to TikTok

I ask you to join me in saying a bittersweet goodbye to something special we shared in all our lives, we laughed together, we cried together, and now together, we say goodbye to TikTok. 

If you live in the United States and have not been living under a rock, you’ve probably heard the news that TikTok is getting banned, that is, unless they’re willing to sell TikTok to an American company, therefore reducing the security and data concerns presented by Congress. According to the United States government’s decision regarding the future of the app, the ban will go into effect on January 19th. 

My first thought- what’s going to happen after January 19th??? 

I’ve done some research, so you don’t have to. Essentially TikTok will no longer be downloadable on the app store, Google Store, etc. In addition, due to the ban, TikTok will no longer be able to send out updates, so whatever version of the app you have right now is what you will have permanently moving forward (E News Jan 2025). On second thought, maybe permanently would be the wrong word to use. Joseph Lorenzo Hall, Internet Society Technologist, described to Wire how the apps will inevitably “decay and rot” as a result of the lack of updates and service to users in the US, meaning the app will likely get less and less functional as time goes on (Wired Jan 2025). A dragged-out goodbye if you will. 

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There are plenty of people who are vehemently against this decision, among them being the self-appointed influencers and business owners who have benefitted from TikTok’s shopping platform. I mean when has a social media app created a whole new CAREER choice that the next generation inspires to be? Of course, there’s been YouTube creators for decades and 

Instagram models acquiring millions of likes, but the term “influencer” as a job and an identity on TikTok has taken on a meaning of its own unlike any other app that came before. I mean, if you stepped into an elementary school or middle school today and asked the classic question of what the children aspired to be when they grow up, I promise you at least one or more kid will reply with, “I want to be an influencer”. And why wouldn’t they? It’s a dream life on the surface. You make hundreds of thousands, if not millions of dollars for posting in your bedroom, filming and documenting your life, and enjoying all the merchandise brands constantly send your way for exposure and advertising. Simply making content has turned into a full-time business venture where these influencers have managers, brand deals, and are even using their popularity online to cross over into other spaces like music or acting. 

Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, which was also highly talked about and promoted on TikTok, made us all aware of which “era” we identified with. Well, are influencers entering their unemployed era? I kid! Most influencers would rather switch platforms than give up their dream job. They redirect their followers to Instagram and YouTube, but will it ever be the same? If we wanted to watch Instagram Reels or YouTube videos, then we would have done that in the first place. There was something special about TikTok, something different. YouTube gave us lengthier content injected with ads, and Instagram Reels always came across to me like a knock off TikTok trying to create the same energy unsuccessfully. Love it or hate it, TikTok merged ads with content to the point that if you weren’t watching with a keen eye, you may not even realize that the product your favorite influencer is raving about is just something they’re trying to sell you for commission. 

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Small businesses were able to receive worldwide exposure like never before. Artists were discovered and catapulted to success. Political, economic, and social issues were brought to a public forum and engaged users to participate in the election or just be more aware and involved in the world happening around them. The memes, the trends, and the TikTok dances were fun while they lasted, but the expansive community TikTok created to connect with other people’s stories, indulge in an endless number of interests, and enjoy videos catered to you thanks to the algorithm behind your For You Page, made TikTok a constant in many people’s lives. 

So…what do we do now!!? 

Is there any way to turn back the clock and get the app back in the US. The owner and employees of TikTok have very little control over the ban, but they’ve urged all American citizens who are upset and disappointed by this goodbye to contact their congressional representatives and let them hear from the people how much we oppose this decision. Congress members are elected to office by their constituents, so at the end of the day, they pretty much work for us, and we decide if they get to keep their job when it’s time for elections. We have every right to let them know how we’re feeling and state our case. 

On a positive note, Senator Ed Markey has your back, along with other Senators, Ron Wyden, Cory Booker and Representative Ro Khanna. Markey introduced the Extend the TikTok Deadline Act on Monday January 13th, asking the President and the Justices to give the app’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, an additional 270 days to sell the social media platform (Newsweek Jan 2025). 

A lot can happen in another 270 days. Mainly that an American company would have more time to negotiate a deal with ByteDance to buy TikTok, making it an American-owned company and 

inherently less of a security risk in the eyes of the US legislators. People and businesses don’t want to see TikTok go. 

Goodbyes are tough, but maybe that goodbye will become a hello to the next best thing, pushing TikTok to the cemetery of once-loved apps, alongside Vine and Musical.ly.

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