RIP TikTok
Well, it finally happened. While I was doom-scrolling last night at exactly 10:30 pm, TikTok went dark. As a millennial, I remember the pre-social media days clearly. We once lived our lives without trending audios and 10-part “Who the F did I marry” videos. We played outside and had to call our friends on a corded phone. I do understand why there could be negative effects from extended screen time for both adults and children, and I also understand the concept of foreign government spying. All of that being said, I’m not entirely sure any of those things are the real reason we now get a “sorry, TikTok isn’t available right now” banner when we open the app.
Over the last week, I’ve seen creators repost content from their early days posting to TikTok. Some of them were barely able to feed themselves and their children before they found success on the app and were able to monetize their content by doing things like cleaning up after their families or telling funny stories about Mom life. Others cried because the communities they found online were the only place they felt seen and safe. Mental health has become a huge topic of discussion as users craved honest, raw content that made our favorite influencers seem more relatable.
If, at this point, you’re still thinking, why do we need another app with videos of people doing choreographed dances to bad music and shopping hauls, you never found all the educational content on TikTok. Medical doctors, archeologists, attorneys, and even scientists are all sharing their wealth of knowledge and answering our most burning question on “that stupid little app.”
Those “silly” makeup tutorials are helping someone in the middle of a panic attack breathe and soothe their way back to baseline. Disabled individuals are sharing tips and hope for others who are indeed watching. Cancer patients are able to pay for their treatments because enough people watched their short videos about chemo days all the way through.
Just like anything else in life, it’s all about balance. If you never close the app and put your phone down to enjoy the people around you and take in the fresh air, you’re missing out on so much and doing yourself a disservice that can absolutely have negative effects. But personally, I’m wondering where I’m going to get all my soup recipes and amputee workouts now. And what will I do with all these adorable videos of my dog no one asked for?
