SALT LAKE CITY — As you'd expect, Utahns across all generations had varying thoughts on the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to uphold a law that may ban TikTok in the country.
“It’s kind of created a safe space and community for a lot of people so I’m kind of sad to see it go,” said Mari Higuchi.
“My children, my daughter is into it. I know a lot of teenagers that are into it," added Erica Chairez. "There’s good and bad, but I’m not for it.”
Despite public perception, the social media platform doesn’t just showcase dances or funny videos. For some, it's an important connection to what's going on in the world around them.
“I definitely feel like TikTok is one of my main sources of information and news, so I think that with the ban I will have to be looking out for other sources to go to immediately. I think that will be my biggest challenge," shared Madison Wakefield.
Confused about TikTok ban? Bree Fowler with CNET explains it below:
For many, TikTok is a source of income, and posting content is a full-time job.
“My son has a lot of friends who work with TikTok, and they’re worried about their jobs, so there’s a lot of people in the country that work with TikTok," explained Erika Granath.
With so many sharing positives and negatives about TikTok, it's no surprise how people see the ban from different perspectives.
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“I like TikTok, but I don’t think the app going away, for me personally, would be that terrible,“ Wakefield said.
“It’s an interesting thing if they choose to ban it,” said Gail Frankoski.
One of the biggest concerns heard from parents Friday is social media safety and its effect on their kids.
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“We should be the ones checking in on what they’re watching," added Chairez. "And it’s not just Tiktok, there’s stuff on YouTube they can watch. It’s all around the social media, period. I’m not 100% about it.”
“I don’t know. You can allow your kids to be on it or not. You have to manage social media in general. That’s all of them. Not just TikTok,” said Granath.
The ban is set to take effect Sunday, marking the end of your “For You” page. Then again... maybe not.
“I mean, that’s the big question. Is it actually going to happen?" asked Wakefield. "I definitely think there’s some companies and higher-up people that are trying to make it not happen, but I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.”
