The U.S. ban on TikTok may have been short-lived, but the app’s future remains uncertain. Furthermore, Florida teens have seen multiple changes to the way they use social media in the new year, including new Florida laws that put age restrictions on users.

       The United States government previously had concerns about the app’s access to users’ data since TikTok is owned by the Chinese company ByteDance, which has possible links to China’s Communist government. 

      Florida Governor Ron DeSantis also signed a bill that requires social media companies to terminate accounts for those under the age of 14 and add parental consent as a requirement for 14- and 15-year-olds to make accounts. The bill also defines social media as addictive, according to Inside Privacy. 

      Despite these restrictions and the imminent TikTok ban, around 75% of teens report having an active social media profile to connect with their friends and family, keep up with current events, express themselves, and stay entertained.

     “I enjoy social media because it’s entertaining, a great way to see new skills in my sport, see the things my friends are doing, and it’s a good way to keep up with the college competitions,” says Katelyn McNabb, a freshman at WPHS and a competitive gymnast. 

      These benefits point to a community that teens can go to if they need to talk to someone or feel stressed. For example, TikTok has features allowing users to comment on videos, message each other, livestream, and more, allowing many to build communities within the app. A ban would have taken away this social aspect that so many enjoy.

      “I’m against it, 100% against it, because there are lots of communities that reach out there, and they get a lot of support, and they all come together through TikTok…” says Sage Ragas, a freshman at Lake Mary High School. “I get to go and see my friends’ posts and see what they did throughout the day, and I get to connect with new people throughout the world.”

       Entrepreneurs, influencers, and others who profit off of TikTok expressed concern about the ban taking away a source of income and the ability to connect with customers. Some even speculate that the ban would cause Meta, previously known as Facebook, to monopolize the entertainment industry. 

       “It’s an abuse of power by our politicians who are bought and paid for by Meta and other people that have social media platforms that are owned by United States citizens,” says financial advisor, insurance entrepreneur, and Ragas’s mother, Noelle Rivers, who is in agreement with her daughter on the ban. She uses TikTok to reach out to potential clients and employees. “It’s simply a way of eliminating competition.”

        Rivers also expressed that while social media comes with benefits for people of all ages, extra precautions may be needed when using apps like TikTok, especially for children and teens.

      “I do think that minors are vulnerable. I did have a child who got caught up in a scam of some kind, but that got all worked out. It is frustrating that you feel you taught your kids everything they know to be careful online, and then things like that still happen,” says Rivers.

       In addition to scams, minors are also at higher risk of developing mental health problems from the pressures of social media. Teenagers on social media often compare themselves to others and view posts that show unrealistic lives and standards.

      “My concern is more about social media in general and what it does to kids’ developing brains, particularly girls. The research on the harm of social media is very clear at this point… I do think it’s appropriate for there to be some social media in the teen years. I think it just needs to be delayed,” says pediatric neuropsychologist Juliana Bloom, “It’s designed 100% to be addictive. It’s designed to give you a dopamine hit in your brain every time you open it. But sometimes those dopamine hits are really negative and can cause really negative feelings.”

       Many teens have experienced these consequences and have felt unsafe when using social media apps like TikTok.

     “There are many consequences for TikTok to be a Chinese-owned platform, like access to user data, intellectual property theft, and even censorship,” says Michelle Carvajal, a freshman at WPHS. “I feel like it can be unsafe for the younger users. I mean, don’t get me wrong, it can be unsafe for everybody.”

      Data collection has been a major concern of politicians in favor of the ban and has been investigated for years without a clear conclusion.

     “TikTok collects nearly every data point imaginable, from people’s location to what they type and copy, who they talk to, biometric data, and more,” said Cathy McMorris Rogers, chair of the Committee on Energy and Commerce at a March 2023 committee hearing on the app. “TikTok surveils us all and the Chinese Communist party is able to use this as a tool to manipulate America as a whole. We do not trust TikTok will ever embrace American values–values for freedom, human rights, and innovation.”

      Despite these concerns from the government, many expressed that there are other important issues that should be addressed and take priority over a potential TikTok ban.

     “We are starving. People are dying…we’re in a war that we should not be in in the first place. And TikTok is our most pressing concern? I don’t think so,” says influencer, makeup artist, and beauty vlogger James Charles in a March 2024 NBC News Stay Tuned interview,  “It’s also infuriating and a test to our political system that that bill got introduced, what, five minutes ago? And it was passed this morning and now it’s already going to the Senate, whereas there’s already all sorts of bills that take weeks, months, years, and never get anything done to them.

        TikTok is currently back up and running in the U.S. after efforts made by President Trump were successful, leading to a 75-day extension through April 5. However, it is not available as a new download on app stores and cannot be redownloaded if deleted. Many users have also switched to alternative social media apps, such as Instagram and Rednote, the Chinese version of TikTok. While TikTok’s future may be unclear, its impact on teens is not.