TikTok Goes the Clock (Banned?)

What!? No way! Are you serious!?

The news of TikTok’s potential ban is spreading like wildfire across the globe, leaving everyone buzzing with questions: Will the ban be permanent, or is it just a temporary move? So many users on the app are confused, and some are even upset that the platform — that has been around since 2016 — is now suddenly getting banned. This isn’t the first time the app has been at the center of a controversial ban discussion. The topic first gained global attention in November 2023 but was halted by early 2024. Currently, TikTok experienced its first ban on Saturday, January 19, 2025, despite it originally being scheduled for Sunday of that same week, which confused many across the US, depending on their time zones. According to the US government, the ban would not affect countries outside the United States. As of now, the US government and President Donald Trump have come to an agreement to extend the usage of TikTok for 75 days before it’ll be permanently banned.

Just as everyone had a different reaction to the ban, several students, including a teacher shared their response on the worldwide matter that is affecting the US.

“I was confused at first, but in the end, I didn’t care and just went to watch Instagram reels after. I didn’t really have a huge reaction to the whole thing and knew it was bound to happen. As for my backup app, I’d say Instagram would be my first choice and luckily I did not risk losing the app and didn’t delete it since it returned the moment I woke up,” Freshman Kailyn Weiss said.

“I wasn’t really affected by the ban since I only had the app just to have it, so it wasn’t really a bother for me. I didn’t post anything because I just went on with my day like nothing happened greatly at all. Though, if the app did get banned permanently, I’d say I’m leaning more on going to Instagram as a backup app,” Freshman Charlyse Menendez said.

“I was utterly baffled since I was in the middle of scrolling on TikTok before it booted me out of a video I was watching. I didn’t really feel like posting anything about it except for ranting to my group chat of friends about it literally a minute after. But, if the app did get banned, I’d go to Instagram or Twitter [X],” Sierra Montalbano

“I think it was a pretty dense play by the U.S. government. I went on a scavenge to see what app would be suitable to replace TikTok. I didn’t post anything about it on any other apps and I knew it’d happen sooner or later. My original backup plan was to go on Instagram even though the reels are crucial but can be hilarious almost all the time,” Freshman Junior Lokossou said.

“I was low-key sad at first. I didn’t post anything about it on other apps, except for texting my friends about it. I would say I’d move to Instagram as a backup app, and no, I did not delete TikTok since I was manifesting that it’d return,” Freshman Taylor Senderling said.

“To be very honest with you, I went to sleep after finding out, ’cause I was like ‘Oh, okay’ and went straight onto to Twitter [X] for fun. I didn’t post anything at all —like anything. If  TikTok did get banned permanently, Twitter [X] or YouTube shorts would definitely be my back up app,” Freshman Brooklyn Senderling said.

As a bonus, Ms. Eyerly, a mathematics teacher at Greenway High school was asked how did you react to the news of the TikTok ban and did you think the ban would be temporarily or permanent at first.

“I was honestly irritated I didn’t really believe that the ban would actually take place and thought of it only as a political move. I was surprised that it got shut down even for the short time that it did. However, I have seen other platforms come and go and assumed that if TikTok was no longer available, then something else would be released to take its place within a short amount of time,” Ms. Eyerly said.