Jan. 18, users of TikTok were presented with a message reading, ”A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the U.S. Unfortunately, this means you can’t use TikTok for now. We are fortunate that President Trump has indicated that he will work with us on a solution to reinstate TikTok once he takes office. Please stay tuned!”
After this, avid TikTok users and influencers panicked and prepared for the worst — a permanent ban of TikTok.
It even affected some students at the University of Tennessee who create content on the app, including Lanie Kristin, an influencer and student of UT.
“Being able to share my thoughts, my love for things, and my life on social media has been and is the biggest blessing,” Kristin said. “I have been posting on social media since I got Instagram at a young age. The opportunities that have arisen from social media are things I used to pray for as a little girl.”
Although TikTok is Kristin’s primary platform, she said that even if TikTok were banned permanently, she would still be able to conduct brand deals and continue to create videos through other social media outlets, such as Instagram and YouTube.
“I already syndicate all of the content posted to my TikTok to Reels and YouTube anyways, so it would not be that big of a change,” Kristin said.
She continued saying that brands were already reaching out to her for collaborations through Instagram instead of TikTok immediately after the ban was put into place.
A screenshot of the message that appeared on TikTok users' screens after the TikTok ban went into effect in the United States on Jan. 18, 2025.
For other students, including Annie Housler, a senior supply chain management student, TikTok going away was viewed as a way of spending less time on social media and finding other methods to stay busy instead of scrolling through TikTok.
“I was actually somewhat glad about the ban because I tend to scroll on Tiktok a lot, and it has become a huge time waster for me,” Housler said.
She also noted how she felt bad for content creators on the app because, for many, it is a source of income.
As of May 7, 2024, a study by Wallaroo Media showed that the average TikTok user spends around an hour and a half on the app, with an average of eight clicks daily. This can become unhealthy for students when school, work or other activities could be more important to spend time on than social media platforms.
However, social media does have positive impacts on people. In an article from The Daily Beacon featuring Kristin from February 2024, she said that showing positivity was her purpose for getting started on TikTok and that every day should begin with a positive take on life.
Although TikTok is back and will be running for at least another couple of months, it is no secret that it allows students an escape from their everyday lives. Whether the app stays around forever or goes away in the next several months, it is important to note how quickly things can change. Within only 14 hours, Donald Trump’s administration lifted the ban, signing an executive order to extend the timeline for at least another 75 days.
TikTok provides an outlet of comfort for influencers while providing an income for those with enough of a following on the app. The TikTok ban caused a rattle throughout the country, but with its return, people will now be prepared if it ever goes away again.
