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What if no one misses TikTok?

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41–50 of 157 posts

Re: What if no one misses TikTok?

#41
Either it is a guilty pleasure and you are secretly relieved that the temptation is being removed. Or prolonged use of the service has turned you into an apathetic apolitical blob of mindless jelly with no agency and no energy to effect change on your environment.

Re: What if no one misses TikTok?

#42

It’s totally insane that China can ban all American social networks on security concerns and ban all kinds of just basic speech on their apps, but banning a Chinese social network is so controversial.

China doesn't claim that free speech and personal freedom are part of their core values

Sure but what would that have to do with this action here?

TikTok isn’t being banned because of free speech or not but because the usage of their algorithms allows the app to influence how Americans think about different issues. China has recognized this as a threat and as such has banned foreign adversary social media companies from operating within its borders.

Likewise the United States has recognized that this is a serious threat as well and has sought to do the same.

Both countries claim to want to defend their systems of governments so it stands to reason they are just taking reciprocal actions here.

The “free speech” angle is just Chinese propaganda. We stop businesses from operating in the United States all the time and sanction companies and stop them from doing business within our financial network all the time. TikTok is just some random company and we can stop it from doing business here. Free speech isn’t a meaningful discussion point here.

Re: What if no one misses TikTok?

#44

It’s totally insane that China can ban all American social networks on security concerns and ban all kinds of just basic speech on their apps, but banning a Chinese social network is so controversial.

China doesn't claim that free speech and personal freedom are part of their core values

[deleted]

Re: What if no one misses TikTok?

#45

I'm not sure it's the right thing to ban TikTok, but I'm not surprised people aren't protesting in the streets. My feeling is that most people are addicted to these apps, not using them for the utility or pleasure they bring. These users have a deep down sense that they'd be better off without these apps. Instagram won't be banned, but if it were I think there might be a similar non-reaction.

That doesn't characterize me or any of the folks I know who use the app.

I know what it feels like to be addicted- I used to drink quite heavily and often.

Why are you theorizing about people you don't know engaging in an activity which is foreign to you?

Can you state some of your media consumption preferences so we can deconstruct them and find their problematic aspects via a struggle session? If you're not up for that, why do you feel like it's okay to try and take that line with other adults?

Re: What if no one misses TikTok?

#46
post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This isn’t exaggeration btw. Gen Z is basically a cooked generation at this point.

Because we don't like what the US government and their corporate overlords are doing?

Gen Z will have a rude awakening if they think the Chinese government is in anyway better

Re: What if no one misses TikTok?

#47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Because we don't like what the US government and their corporate overlords are doing?

Imagine thinking the U.S. govt and corporate overlords are terrible because they’re banning TikTok and getting back at them by going to a Chinese app. China, the country which has a literal firewall preventing their people from getting information that isn’t vetted, bans nearly every external app because they don’t have control over it, and most ironically, never allowed TikTok, whose banning you think makes the U.S.…

Man, u just don't get it.

It's spite. Obviously. The point isn't that the CCP is better.

Re: What if no one misses TikTok?

#48
I think there’s a lot of good reasons to ban TT…

It’s in American security interests to limit CCP’s access to American location data and ability to pipe propaganda into our eyeballs.

But setting the ban to go into effect one day before the next President takes office is brazenly political and undermines the actually-important problem that TikTok represents.

When Twitter got weird, Bluesky was ready to come in as a total clone and succeed. I’m sure there are a dozen companies ready to make their case that they should replace TT…it’ll be fine.

Re: What if no one misses TikTok?

#49
post #41

Either it is a guilty pleasure and you are secretly relieved that the temptation is being removed. Or prolonged use of the service has turned you into an apathetic apolitical blob of mindless jelly with no agency and no energy to effect change on your environment.

Apolitical is an interesting choice of description. My understanding is that the real motivation of banning TikTok is precisely the political influence it wields on the youth’s malleable minds.

Re: What if no one misses TikTok?

#50

I'm not sure it's the right thing to ban TikTok, but I'm not surprised people aren't protesting in the streets. My feeling is that most people are addicted to these apps, not using them for the utility or pleasure they bring. These users have a deep down sense that they'd be better off without these apps. Instagram won't be banned, but if it were I think there might be a similar non-reaction.

> My feeling is that most people are addicted to these apps, not using them for the utility or pleasure they bring. ...I find it interesting to think about whether using something due to addiction means you wouldn't protest if it's forcibly taken away. In other words, I wonder if people would protest if cigarettes were banned.

I think replacing cigarettes with vapes is more topical, at least in America.
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