Staff Reports
The U.S. House of Representatives made headlines earlier this year by passing a bill that could potentially lead to an outright ban of TikTok, the social media platform that has more ties to Beijing than a panda bear at a Chinese zoo. With the vote tally at 352 in favor and a mere 65 against, Rep. Jasmine Crockett from Texas was the lone dissenter, opting to vote “present.” It’s a curious stance, especially when one considers Communism’s favorite app is directly linked to the Chinese government, the same government that orchestrates espionage against America like it’s a Saturday night bingo game.
GOP House Speaker Mike Johnson hit the nail on the head when he pointed out that Communist China is not just a troublesome neighbor; it’s America’s biggest geopolitical villain. The argument is simple: would anyone hand over their wallet to a pickpocket just because they smile and take selfies? Unlikely. Yet, that’s precisely what countless Americans—especially the young and impressionable—are doing when they scroll through TikTok, blissfully unaware of who might be lurking behind the curtain, data mining their personal lives.
Fascinating new graph from Pew Research Center this week. Check out how the supply in news content has grown on TikTok compared to other apps.
Part of this is surely news media's lethargy – and, frankly, condescension – about the tool back in 2020. pic.twitter.com/G23Kwc0WBM
— Sophia Smith Galer (@sophiasgaler) September 19, 2024
Recent findings from Pew Research display a concerning trend: nearly 40 percent of young adults in the U.S. now rely on TikTok for their news. Now that’s what one might call a news flash, if it didn’t come with a side of Communist red. Overall, the share of adults using TikTok for news has skyrocketed from a mere 3 percent in 2020 to 17 percent in 2024. One could argue that this meteoric rise in popularity isn’t just a passing fad; it’s more like giving a toddler a loaded toy and expecting them to play safely.
Digging deeper into the statistics reveals a rather stark generational divide. Approximately 63 percent of teens have jumped on the TikTok train, while just 3 percent of those over 65 dare to venture onto the platform. It’s as if the older generations are still using carrier pigeons while the youth are glued to their screens, downing bite-sized clips of news like candy. While half of TikTok users are now regularly consuming news there, they are still a step behind users of X (formerly Twitter), who are favored in this bizarre social media news race.
However, not everyone is on board with the TikTok love train. A recent poll showed that many Gen Z voters are actually uneasy about the Chinese government manipulating the app, echoing the concerns of a slight majority of Millennials. About 51 percent of those under 27 are worried about the CCP’s influence, while younger Millennials are almost half ready to jump ship. But when it comes to actually supporting a ban, only 34 percent of Gen Z back the idea, leaving many scratching their heads about how they feel about their favorite app being fodder for national security concerns. Perhaps it’s time for a TikTok tutorial on topics like patriotism and the dangers of foreign influence—if it hasn’t been banned already.
