TikTok Before Your Time Is Up
“TikTok before your time is up. That is what the motto should actually be. Continue using the social media platform TikTok until your time to spread awareness is up.”
“All praise be to Allah in every situation, such a subtle and powerful commendation.” These were the last words of 55-year-old Marcellus Williams. Words that could've gone unheard if not for TikTok promoting the petition led by the Innocence Project to halt his unfair conviction. A trial that had dragged on for 22 years was brought to the media's attention just two weeks before his execution date.
As the media now admires his persona and perseverance through his story being shared by interviews and more, a wave of guilt washes over people. People ponder: Why didn't we know about this sooner? Were we too distracted by social media platforms or our own life disputes? Or do they bear responsibility, knowing they might have learned of the injustice if the news on the radio during their commute had mentioned it. Or if their favorite global news channel, CNN — which they thought was legitimate — prioritized not only trending stories but those of true significance?
Wary of all these questions of guilt and awareness, the concept of fault does not lie with just one group. The powers that be exist within a media food chain. Journalists, editors, and news outlets act as producers. These stories are consumed first by distributors — platforms like TikTok, Youtube, and Instagram — who then spread them widely, becoming primary consumers. From there the general public — people like you: viewers, readers, and social media users — become secondary consumers, digesting the information and forming opinions.
Many people in positions of power likely underestimate our ability to think critically, assuming we wouldn't notice the cycles that keep playing on repeat. You know the ones. A black man killed by police forces. A teenanger gone missing in NYC. These titles are so repetitive that the current stories seem to not get enlightened, and change is unlikely to take effect.
Currently, the platform of TikTok is under significant threat of being banned in the United States. On April 24, 2024, President Joe Biden signed legislation giving the app’s Chinese parent company, Byte Dance, a one year deadline to sell its American operations or face a ban. This follows many restrictions across the nation, where TikTok has already been banned from government devices. This is because of national security concerns about potential Chinese data access.
In response to the ban, TikTok sued the US government on May 7, 2024. They argued that the ban is unconstitutional and unfairly targets a single platform. The lawsuit emphasized that a nationwide ban would prevent Americans from participating in a global community. Right now, there are over a billion users across from 154 countries on TikTok. This frames the ban as a restriction of speech, which is a fundamental right protected by the First Amendment. China now questions the US's democratic values, challenging American officials and citizens on whether such a law aligns with democratic principles.
TikTok’s platform, with its powerful tools, allows citizens to call out the U.S government for what it fails to do as a democracy. For example, being unable to distribute aid to communities during natural disasters. In this situation, the ban reflects national pride, preventing the United States from recognizing the assistance TikTok offers to its citizens. Tools like the Creator Fund and TikTok Shop allow creators to showcase their content and earn commissions, contributing 15 billion in revenue and 224,000 jobs within the years. With inflation rising and the job market being competitive and inaccessible, many believe that TikTok should remain accessible, as it provides economic opportunities for those in need.
Problems are diverse, those they impact are diverse, and the solutions to the way these problems are solved is completed diversely. Not long ago, a video about a seven year old girl named Heaven Awot being mutilated, brutally raped, and killed by her mother’s landlord popped up on my For You Page. This headline is so crazy that you think how could that possibly happen without it being acknowledged on the news, but the truth is this crime took place in Ethiopia. Yes, the murder of Heaven Awot came up on my For You Page. Otherwise, I would never have known. This was so significant to me that a soulless crime was being displayed to me and that in this moment I was being tasked to help bring life and awareness to this young girl’s story, even though I was 7,038 miles away.
TikTok before your time is up. That is what the motto should actually be. Continue using the social media platform TikTok until your time to spread awareness is up, because with every post, story, and comment shared, you contribute to giving overlooked tragedies and oppressed voices the global audience they deserve.