First Amendment through Social Media
by Serene Hwang
Almost everyone has heard of TikTok, one of the fastest growing social media applications in recent years. With over 800 million active users on the app, it has utterly surpassed both Instagram and Facebook in popularity. Mostly teens utilize the app to make creative content, share funny videos, and create a social identity for themselves. As a 16 year old girl living in the heart of Los Angeles, I have had plenty of experience with this platform as well. Tired of the never-ending boredom brought on by the quarantine, I started my own account mid-April in hopes of finding a new hobby that would keep me occupied. Three months later, I surpassed a following of 100,000 and became an “influencer” on the app. As exciting as amassing thousands of followers is, the most eye-opening experience was actually completely unrelated to my personal platform.
Following the tragic passing of George Floyd on May 25th, social media played a significant role in helping the fight for justice. The uproar on TikTok was unlike any other I have witnessed before; my feed was flooded with tips for protesting, video footages unpublished by the news, and petitions to reopen cases for others who have had to pass without justice. Trending hashtags were filled with #justiceforgeorgefloyd, #blacklivesmatter, and #acab. TikTok became a political battleground where the youth could speak up on different matters and criticize the government’s wrongdoings. Under the legal age to cast a vote, minors were finally given a voice in our nation’s most pressing topics. Then, the unimaginable happened at Trump’s rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
The campaign event had over a million ticket requests but had a mere 6,200 show up on the day. What could have happened? Weeks before the rally, young people on TikTok formulated a plan to reserve multiple spots but ultimately not show up. This was a way to protest against President Trump’s agenda and actions regarding recent issues. On the day of the rally, the unexpectedly small number of supporters shocked the president and the rest of the Republican party. Since then, Trump has been devising a way to stop the other party from belittling his campaign; he has decided to push the banning of TikTok in the U.S.
The ban would work to diminish the communication networks among the president’s biggest opposer, the country’s youth. News of this nationwide ban began circulating on July 9th. Tiktokers consequently rushed their farewells and went into complete distress. Fortunately, however, the Trump Administration was not able to ban the app just yet. This was another win for Generation Z. Things finally seemed to settle down, at least until July 31st. President Trump announced that he would push for the ban to happen as soon as the following day. The users of TikTok panicked once again. Were they all losing their hard-earned platforms simply due to opposing conservative beliefs?
Although the app has not been successfully banned in the U.S. yet, the topic continues to be in the air. With Microsoft offering to buy the social media app and the president doing everything in his power to get rid of it, the future of TikTok and its creators proves to be unpredictable. Especially in times like these, it is critical that we, as citizens of America, voice our opinions and advocate for what is right. We will not let our freedoms of speech and press be stripped from our people. Etched into the bones and soaked in the tears of our past generations stands our First Amendment. It is now that we must reflect on the Constitution, the truly patriotic laws of our country.