The Future of TikTok

By: Lenora Kirkland

Since its creation in 2016, TikTok has become an all too familiar presence in our lives, lingering in our every waking moment, from our bustling social lives to our quietest solitary moments. Being such an essential part of modern-day life, it comes as no surprise that global outrage is immediately triggered when restrictions on its usage are put in place. 

Certain changes have become more prominent, especially in regard to the time spent by younger age groups on the app. As of recently, “TikTok will limit users under the age of 18 to 60 minutes of daily screen time.” the BBC said. 

Many have argued that this is ineffective since younger age groups can just make accounts in which they falsify their age to keep their screen time up; however, many argue that this is not enough to prevent the numerous mental health issues caused in children and young people who spend so many hours on the app. 

A more recent change has also gained significant prominence regarding TikTok as it relates to national security. In the UK, civil servants and government ministers have been barred from having the Chinese-owned app on their phones due to security issues. 

“The decision brings the UK in line with the U.S. government and the European Commission, both of which announced similar bans on TikTok in the past month, and it demonstrates how fast western trust in China and TikTok has deteriorated in recent months.” the BBC said. 

As a result, United States government officials have also begun to question the security of TikTok for government officials, though there has yet to be a clear decision on the matter. 

TikTok has so much information on our lives that its potential to be misused has become all the more concerning to people around the world. 

Sources: BBC, CNN, the Guardian