Many college students across the country spend their days scrolling through the popular social media app TikTok, from watching Alix Earle’s “get ready with me” videos to Finn Wolfhard snapping.
According to the Associated Press, nearly half of the states in the United States have announced TikTok bans on government devices since January 12.
The Pennsylvania Treasury joined other states in restricting the use of TikTok on government-owned devices at the end of 2022.
Other public universities, including the University of Wisconsin and the University of Georgia, have followed suit and prohibited it on university-owned devices.
However, according to the Associated Press, nearly half of the states in the United States have announced TikTok bans on government devices since January 12.
From watching Alix Earle’s “get ready with me” videos to Finn Wolfhard snapping, many college students across the country spend their days scrolling through the popular social media app TikTok.
The Pennsylvania Treasury joined other states in restricting TikTok use on government-owned devices at the end of 2022.
According to the Associated Press, many universities have previously used TikTok as a promotional tool to attract potential new students.
“TikTok can be really useful for explaining a concept you don’t understand in a specific class,” said Parker (freshman-biobehavioral health). Parker went on to say that TikTok is “not just for social purposes,” as some people use it for school.
She believes a ban on TikTok would cause a “uproar” among students on campus. Parker believes the university should not intervene because it is up to students to decide how and when to use the app. “I’d be in the uproar group because I use TikTok a lot, and I believe it should be up to individuals to decide how they manage their time,” says one.
Kristella Putz said she usually watches videos ranging from 30 seconds to three minutes on TikTok. Putz claims that a TikTok ban would have no personal impact on her because she lives off campus. “Other students would definitely be upset,” Putz (senior-electrical engineering) said.
Gu suggested that students would find “entertainment” from Instagram Reels — a possible alternative to TikTok clips. Sriya Sadhu stated that she has heard of a TikTok ban being implemented at the University of Texas due to a “threat to national security.”
“I was just on it two minutes ago,” Gu (premedicine sophomore) explained. In fact, Auden Gu stated that a TikTok ban would be “unpleasant,” but that people would find workarounds.