After the second year examination, I had a visit home. On a subsequent day, I noticed my cousin doing weird stuff and making faces in front of the phone. He was doing it for a while now. I blurted, “What the heck are you doing?”. “Making TikTok”, He replied. That’s how I took notice of an app named ‘TikTok’. To be honest I never let the app to be part of my life. However, as a tech enthusiast, I downloaded the app quickly for testing out the UI/UX and uninstalled at a much faster pace after my eyes befall on litters around the globe. Fortunately, I never looked back in that dump, unfortunately, The cringe spread from TikTok to other social media pretty soon then my expectations.
While there was a bunch of opinions making grounds on social media with respect to the ban. A recent incident took me with surprise when I read the headlines “An 18-year teenager succumb her life to TikTok ban.” This news was upsetting, horrifying, unusual and pitiful. The lead further delves that she was under severe depression after the TikTok ban.
Before we continue further, Take note that, Depression is a serious mental illness which can be cured with the help of counselling or by keeping individual on medications if required. There is a lot to discuss in depression as well but, we will keep depression aside for now.
Why TikTok is Addictive?
TikTok ban as a case is quite intriguing considering the two billion downloads across the world. Furthermore, 315 million downloads were calculated in the recent quarter only, as per published by Sensor Tower. It became one of the fastest downloading apps in the Play Store.
If we trace the reason, It probably is simple as Virality. TikTok uses a certain algorithm that helps the video to go viral. The aforementioned statement gives a sense of accomplishment releasing a burst of dopamine in our brain.
Dopamine is the same hormone released during achievement, accomplishment, orgasm and so on. It is quite addictive in nature. Like blood to the lion. This provokes the user to spend more and more time in the app and engage with the community. However, It is lethal if you cannot avert from using it just like any other drug.
Addiction to Data Mining
TikTok basically revolves around this idea. It let the user feel the burst and make them spend more time on the app psychologically. But how are they benefited from it? The first one is obviously advertisements, while the second one is much worse.
It’s a well-known fact that privacy is a myth. Apart from few ethical brands like Apple which strives to protect your privacy as much as it can. There isn’t a second guess stating, no other brand stature near the same level. However, the lowest of scums are Chinese companies like Huawei, Bytedance; Umbrella company of TikTok and others. Basically, These brands are into Data Mining that is, unlike other ‘data hoarders’ who hoards to amplify their service. These brands request for permission that isn’t required to process any service they deliver.
Content and Controversies
It isn’t the first time TikTok is banned. It has been banned twice earlier for promoting pornography as well as over privacy concerns. Worst came when Faizal Siddiqui glorified the acid attack with the help of the platform. The account was soon taken down after it. However, considering the reach of the video, It has already done it’s damage.
The quality of content on TikTok isn’t good, is a known fact. Unlike YouTube, TikTok lacks monitoring and strict policy. The conceptualized framework isn’t par for monitoring purposes. All 3 parties i.e, Individual, ByteDance and The Government failed to monitor themselves and the type of content to put on the platform. After all, a sword is just a sword and it depends on individual to wield either to protect or to kill.
Third Tier people, Jobs, Income and Talent
The prime target of TikTok has been the third tier individuals who don’t possess extraordinary skill or talent. However, it provided them with the audience despite being impecunious at skill set.
Moreover, It created a source of income and Job to several individuals in name of content creation and content filtering respectively. To put a ban on the platform certainly brings loss on both sides. On the contrast, the app has been warned and removed several times by Google, Apple and the government authorities for violation of terms of service, and privacy policy and still sings the same song. The constant behaviour perused the idea to intrude the integrity of a nation and one can support them by using and putting sovereignty on stakes.
If filtered the content, TikTok is filled with three kind of people. The first one are the talented ones and since they have the talent, the platform doesn’t matter much. They can pursue or showcase the same skill on a different platforms and generate revenue out of it.
TikTokers and TikTards
The second ones are TikTokers who lacks talent and skill however, are hand made ‘influenza'(cers) for TikTok only. These cannot survive the war of fittest in the content industry and hence are upset about the ban. The last ones are TikTards, precisely retarded TikTokers, who lacks the knowledge of decency and sensibility of what needs to be put on the platform and still ask, “TikTok Ban se kya hoga?” (How does the ban on TikTok change anything?) These individuals are crying, moaning and sobbing over the TikTok ban despite other several pressing issues in the contemporary world.
Analysis
Let me tell you exactly how the ban will affect us in good as well as bad ways in pointers.
The Good Way
- A clean environment for content creation
- Less cringe
- Better competition
- Better content creation
- A boon to those who deserve to be on a better platform
- A boon to privacy concerns
- Safeguarding the sovereignty
The Bad Way
- Monetization on other platforms may take time
- Loss of jobs in an already difficult situation
- Affect international relations