There are over 18 million underage TikTok users. Every day, their development process is being destroyed through instant gratification. The short-term bursts of dopamine have demolished young people’s attention spans.
TikTok should be banned for the detrimental effects it has on young lives.
The app is set up on a reward system—likes and comments. Users become wired to seek out this fleeting satisfaction. Scroll after scroll, they take in exciting stimuli to replace the last one.
For students, this is dangerous. Their education becomes compromised because they can’t sit still long enough to learn anything. This has made it nearly impossible for students who use the app to complete their assignments without taking several breaks to get their ‘fix.’ Some kids even take it a step further by using TikTok during class, disrupting an educational environment.
The rapid scrolling of videos shares the same fundamental principles that make slot machines addictive, called ‘random reinforcement.’ Young people are especially susceptible to learning addictive behaviors. Because it creates a dependence on dopamine, TikTok becomes a gateway to riskier actions.
Moreover, teenagers are constantly fed videos of who or what is deemed attractive, as well as beauty filters that radically change their appearance. This sets unrealistic expectations for an age group that is already insecure by default.
The only way to combat this is to ban TikTok globally for people under 18.
Banning the app would have nothing but positive effects. Obviously, there would be some public backlash. However, the pros outweigh the cons.
Those who disagree with banning TikTok say that teenagers are increasingly getting their news from social media. Since the First Amendment protects the press, it would be unconstitutional to ban an app that provides it.
It would be ridiculous to call TikTok a news source. Not only is the app known for spreading misinformation, but actual news gets so blown out of proportion that it becomes unrecognizable. We should be encouraging kids to get their information from reliable news outlets, not the app that is actively rotting their brains.
Banning TikTok for people under the age of 18 is the only solution. The app is progressively becoming an issue for young people. Although it may cause some outrage, banning TikTok would be better for everyone.
