TikTok, the social media app that has taken the world by storm, has gotten a lot of press regarding its possible ban in the United States.

Americans, young and old, have been concerned about the prohibition of one of their favorite entertainment outlets. However, we must be able to look to the relieving side of the TikTok ban.

It’s no secret that teenagers make up a massive portion of TikTok’s users. According to data journalist Felix Richter, about six in ten American teenagers use TikTok at least once a month.

TikTok is full of videos of girls and boys dancing to popular music. While this does not initially sound like a problem, it may be promoting something worse.

TikTok performers, particularly girls and young women, are being encouraged to exploit their own bodies on the internet. Girls are often seen wearing extremely revealing outfits while doing obscene dances.

These videos, if the account is public, can be seen by anyone. This includes folks seeking to exploit and/or take advantage of unsuspecting content creators.

Not only are potential offenders able to view the public content created by children, but children are also able to view content designed to entice them. 

Potential offenders are able to post content with the intent of convincing children and teens to give away their personal information. This may come in the form of false giveaways or “free” gifts.

TikTok is also popular for its various challenges where users try to replicate and complete the actions of other users. TikTok’s own tagline on the app store is “Trends start here.”

Unfortunately, TikTok has also been the home of dangerous, life-threatening challenges.

One example of such a challenge is the skull-breaker challenge. This challenge requires three people: one to face possible injury and two to kick the legs out from under the other.

Although TikTok discourages users from participating in challenges such as these by deleting this content, users are still exposed before these videos are flagged. Users are likely to have the idea planted in their heads to participate before the video is taken down.

Now is the time to ask yourself, “Is the enjoyment of TikTok really worth the risk?” Let’s join together in leaving TikTok behind, being productive, and dancing alone in front of the mirror-like the good old days.