TikTok is a digital fentanyl that's causing huge problems for children and adolescents, not to mention it's basically malware with how much external data they access on anything that it's downloaded to, so I'm glad to see targeted by lawmakers in some capacity. BUT this Bill gives the government the right to blanketly target any website and designate them as a threat which is NOT a good thing. It's essentially another head for the hydra that is the Patriot Act in terms of giving the Feds yet another way to monitor, censor, or use force against the populace in a digital context. That is a bad thing and for that reason I hope this is killed in the Senate.
"The obedient always think of themselves as virtuous rather than cowardly" - Robert A. Wilson |
"If you don't have any enemies in life you have never stood up for anything" - Winston Churchill |
"It's a testament to the sheer belligerence of the profession that people would rather argue about the 'risk-adjusted returns' of using inferior tooth cleaning methods." - kellycriterion
"If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them." - Bruce Lee
Catchy doesn't mean it's not accurate. Look what it does to kid's attention spans. There are multiple behavioral studies linking it to a rise in functional tics and other behavioral abnormalities. The threats to kid's brain development and mental health isn't a joke nor is it isolated to TikTok (Instagram and Snapchat are also guilty, just not nearly as effective). I would go out on a limb and say the broken clock that is the Chinese government is right about at least one thing when it comes to regulating child access to the internet (albeit heavy handed, I would almost prefer their approach to ours). These apps are designed by the same people who build casino slot machines and wreak havoc on your dopamine reuptake system via the constant stimulation. I have no doubt that in the coming years we'll see all kinds of additional psychological and neurological studies that show how degenerative this stuff is to adolescents brain's cognitive function while they're trying to learn how to focus. And that's not even attempting to address the security concerns the app has, which are massive.
Edit: You should check out Tristan Harris. Amazing figure on this topic.
"The obedient always think of themselves as virtuous rather than cowardly" - Robert A. Wilson |
"If you don't have any enemies in life you have never stood up for anything" - Winston Churchill |
"It's a testament to the sheer belligerence of the profession that people would rather argue about the 'risk-adjusted returns' of using inferior tooth cleaning methods." - kellycriterion
I do not use TikTok but the only way I would be in favor of banning it would be if there are national security risks associated with it. Most social media platforms are detrimental to one's health, especially for young people.
If TikTok style apps in general are found to have a clear and present danger to the general welfare of society, then they can be banned without infringing on the 1st Amendment.
Anyone complaining about TikTok's short form video format is completely missing the point. Every social media platform now revolves around that format. If it's not TikTok it's IG reels, YouTube shorts, etc. Unless you're going to ban all of those, Snapchat, etc. then it's already too late.
Personally I do like to use TikTok since their algorithm seems to be the best by far. I can just keep scrolling endlessly and will eventually come across content I find interesting. Reels, on the other hand, is just random bullshit. The only reason I use Reels at all is because some of my friends prefer it literally because the algorithm is garbage while their TikTok knows them too well and shows them content that makes them think or feel opinionated. I've never used Shorts because why would I open YT if I didn't want to watch a YT video.
Another thing I would note for people anti-TikTok from the content perspective is that their content moderation actually does exist, whereas on Reels literally anything goes. Open Reels for the first time and your third video will probably be someone being killed in a car accident, and every comment section is a complete cesspool. If your argument is "but the children" then for now Reels is infinitely worse.
Voluptatem aut qui maiores ipsam. Qui molestias et consectetur nihil veniam voluptatem. Sequi rerum nihil reiciendis unde sunt quo. Qui consequatur at delectus consequatur architecto placeat. Natus quia architecto et. Laudantium qui id dolorem fugit quaerat hic.
Qui possimus nobis est sint voluptatem aut. Incidunt dolor illum laborum tempore sint asperiores sed. Aspernatur quibusdam quisquam iste consequuntur.
Aut atque delectus quae facere temporibus reprehenderit consectetur neque. Et soluta in rerum id fugit odio ipsum incidunt. Fuga non consectetur eos et saepe est.
See All Comments - 100% Free
WSO depends on everyone being able to pitch in when they know something. Unlock with your email and get bonus: 6 financial modeling lessons free ($199 value)
"If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them." - Bruce Lee
Want to Vote on this Content?! No WSO Credits?
Sorry, you need to login or sign up in order to vote. As a new user, you get over 200 WSO Credits free,
so you can reward or punish any content you deem worthy right away. See you on the other side!
TikTok is a digital fentanyl that's causing huge problems for children and adolescents, not to mention it's basically malware with how much external data they access on anything that it's downloaded to, so I'm glad to see targeted by lawmakers in some capacity. BUT this Bill gives the government the right to blanketly target any website and designate them as a threat which is NOT a good thing. It's essentially another head for the hydra that is the Patriot Act in terms of giving the Feds yet another way to monitor, censor, or use force against the populace in a digital context. That is a bad thing and for that reason I hope this is killed in the Senate.
You're up to date on the latest catch phrases.
Catchy doesn't mean it's not accurate. Look what it does to kid's attention spans. There are multiple behavioral studies linking it to a rise in functional tics and other behavioral abnormalities. The threats to kid's brain development and mental health isn't a joke nor is it isolated to TikTok (Instagram and Snapchat are also guilty, just not nearly as effective). I would go out on a limb and say the broken clock that is the Chinese government is right about at least one thing when it comes to regulating child access to the internet (albeit heavy handed, I would almost prefer their approach to ours). These apps are designed by the same people who build casino slot machines and wreak havoc on your dopamine reuptake system via the constant stimulation. I have no doubt that in the coming years we'll see all kinds of additional psychological and neurological studies that show how degenerative this stuff is to adolescents brain's cognitive function while they're trying to learn how to focus. And that's not even attempting to address the security concerns the app has, which are massive.
Edit: You should check out Tristan Harris. Amazing figure on this topic.
tiktok is so addicting, i love it
I do not use TikTok but the only way I would be in favor of banning it would be if there are national security risks associated with it. Most social media platforms are detrimental to one's health, especially for young people.
Tiktok specifically has led to a rise in short form video which has been proven to decrease attention spans in children and even adults
That's every platform now though. Instagram, YouTube, etc.
That's not why Congress is after them.
If TikTok style apps in general are found to have a clear and present danger to the general welfare of society, then they can be banned without infringing on the 1st Amendment.
This is legal gobbledygook, lol.
From a content perspective:
Anyone complaining about TikTok's short form video format is completely missing the point. Every social media platform now revolves around that format. If it's not TikTok it's IG reels, YouTube shorts, etc. Unless you're going to ban all of those, Snapchat, etc. then it's already too late.
Personally I do like to use TikTok since their algorithm seems to be the best by far. I can just keep scrolling endlessly and will eventually come across content I find interesting. Reels, on the other hand, is just random bullshit. The only reason I use Reels at all is because some of my friends prefer it literally because the algorithm is garbage while their TikTok knows them too well and shows them content that makes them think or feel opinionated. I've never used Shorts because why would I open YT if I didn't want to watch a YT video.
Another thing I would note for people anti-TikTok from the content perspective is that their content moderation actually does exist, whereas on Reels literally anything goes. Open Reels for the first time and your third video will probably be someone being killed in a car accident, and every comment section is a complete cesspool. If your argument is "but the children" then for now Reels is infinitely worse.
Voluptatem aut qui maiores ipsam. Qui molestias et consectetur nihil veniam voluptatem. Sequi rerum nihil reiciendis unde sunt quo. Qui consequatur at delectus consequatur architecto placeat. Natus quia architecto et. Laudantium qui id dolorem fugit quaerat hic.
Qui possimus nobis est sint voluptatem aut. Incidunt dolor illum laborum tempore sint asperiores sed. Aspernatur quibusdam quisquam iste consequuntur.
Aut atque delectus quae facere temporibus reprehenderit consectetur neque. Et soluta in rerum id fugit odio ipsum incidunt. Fuga non consectetur eos et saepe est.
See All Comments - 100% Free
WSO depends on everyone being able to pitch in when they know something. Unlock with your email and get bonus: 6 financial modeling lessons free ($199 value)
or Unlock with your social account...