UH Students React to Potential Tik-Tok Ban
Updated: Apr 11, 2024
By: Grace Rodriguez
INTERVIEW LINK: https://youtu.be/aQN8K2eQJ7A
Recently the US House voted in favor of a TikTok ban. The count for the bill was a near unanimous 352-65. The House infamously known for its bi-partisan votes managed to pass the bill to send to the Senate very quickly. The bill proposes that the parent company of TikTok, ByteDance to sell the app or face a potential ban across the United States. Many are concerned with the potential threat the app poses a risk to people's online safety and security. While the majority of the House voted yes to push the bill forward, the American public is having a polarizing reaction.
I went around the University of Houston asking students their opinions on the topic. The answers I received thoroughly surprised me. Out of all the interviews, only one student seemed to respond positively stating that he feels the ban would help him "get more work done". I have seen similar discourse online from other people close to my age as they believe TikTok is often very distracting when trying to focus. There were others who seemed indifferent to the entire situation as they believe the app would still be accessible. I ironically received two similar answers from students saying that the situation is not as dire as it seems and that "there are always loopholes" in these types of situations.
On the other side of the spectrum, there are those who believe the removal of the app is an infringement on the rights of the American people. Another big reason Gen Z is in opposition is because TikTok has become a new outlet to receive news. Another big problem this poses is that it puts many influencers and businesses in jeopardy. It removes many people's source of income and leaves them in limbo, potentially jobless.
So the question stands: Is banning TikTok worth it if it comes at the risk of many Americans' income or will it be a non-issue?
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