TikTok’s Future: From Dance Videos to Political Censorship

If you follow any news or social media, you're probably aware of what is happening with the app, Tik Tok. The short version is, the app is owned by a Chinese company. Republicans and really old Democrats including Joe Biden jumped on the bandwagon, freaking out about Chinese surveillance, but most of these out of touch politicians don't even know how to use a phone let alone social media apps.

So, for a short time it was banned in the U.S., then Trump when he got elected unbanned it pending a sale. Now a bunch of his billionaire pals are about to close on a deal for the app. Oh, and the government will have some ownership and control over the new algorithm.

What this was really about, on both sides of the aisle is this app is what most Gen Z uses to communicate, keep informed and mobilize for social causes. I'm in my 50s, but even I learned about the atrocities happening in Gaza because of what I saw on Tik Tok. There are several independent journalists who use it to reach their audience, that mainstream news won't report on.

So naturally our government wants to remove or limit access to it, with the help of the Democrats. With Trump allies already owning X and Meta platforms, Tik Tok will give them a social media trifecta and complete control of the flow and sharing of information, that is not to even start thinking about everyone's user data that comes with these apps.

Maybe I'm catastrophizing, but having friends of trump controlling the algorithm on such a large app can't be a good thing. I'm thinking like X, a lot of people will just migrate off of there and onto something else. Maybe Bluesky will come up with their own decentralized video app.

Personally, I've never been a huge Tik Tok user. If I'm being honest, I hate being on video and hate the sound of my own voice even more, which is why I blog. Plus, I say "um, er, and uhh," a lot it makes me want to puncture my own eardrums.

I do sometimes post art on there. Usually just a couple still images and a sound and a short caption, or on my tablet I can download and repost a time lapse video of the piece being drawn. People like simple things like that, but after about 3 year of doing this, I still have less than 200 followers.

My most "viral" Tik Tok post was a short video from a Ghost concert of a Nameless Ghoul whose nickname is "Swiss Army Ghoul" dancing and licking his guitar during the song Monstrance Clock.

I mostly just enjoy what others are posting. I've found some new indie bands on there, I follow some indie artists I like on there who aren't on other socials and as I mentioned above, I do get some news on there from journalists you won't see on CNN or MSNBC.

I remember during COVID, I barely knew what Tik Tok was. I saw people doing silly dance videos on it with weird sound effects and some silly lip syncing things. It soon evolved into something entirely different. That happens a lot with apps and social media. Does anyone remember Vine? That was a fun short video app, until Twitter bought it and then killed it. Meta bought Instagram which was a really fun, social photo sharing app until it got corporatized and enshitified.

Now, both parties in this country have ensured Tik Tok will soon be next. I'll likely delete my whole account here soon. I'll miss some of the fun videos, but I'm sure I'll find cool content elsewhere. It is scary though watching all of this happen in real time. This is all hallmarks of authoritarianism happening in real time, and it just feels helpless to watch.

This is why I have this blog on Ghost instead of anywhere else. I talk about that a lot here if you missed that post. I know a lot of people shit on social media and say its toxic and its a cancer. It absolutely can be all of those things. For people like me who work from home, who are anxious about getting out and not great at in person interactions, it is a lifeline.

It's also great for being an independent creator. All of my events, business contacts and readers I found through social media. So there is a lot of good to happen. I think the problem happened when monetizationa and algorithms came into the picture. Those things feed on our rage and division to maximize clicks and valuation.

What is frustrating and something that I've battled with for years is how to build a following and art/blogging business that is sustainable. For years for various business ventures I relied on social media and didn't even bother with my own website other than using it as a landing/shopping page.

Now, having your own site, owning your own art and content and building your own follower base that you own has never been more important. You could have 2 million followers on Meta and if Zuck wants to nuke your account tomorrow, all that is gone. Your pictures, your thoughtful posts, memories, friends and followers, all just poofed into the void.

Tik Tok is just another in a long line of social apps that once it became too profitable and users became too powerful, the powers that be decided to squash it. Maybe even weaponize it. Either way, that place will be ruined and won't even resemble what the app is now.

I'm not telling anyone what to do. I'm deleting my account in the next few days and won't even download whatever this new version ends up being. I recommend anyone who doesn't want their feed full of right wing propaganda to do the same. Trying to fight through it won't be useful. They control the algorithm. They will prioritize their own content while burying or banning any alternative viewpoints entirely. Not to mention restricting anything coming out of foreign countries incluting Palestine.

I'm not usually a doomer, but I do believe in picking my battles. If possible, notify your followings now and start setting up on your own platforms and migrate your followers as much as possible. I saw one influence on Tik Tok mention how she has had to move and start over on three different platforms already because of this stort of thing. This won't be the last app this happens to either.

What is happening with Tik Tok definitely sucks, but we can try to make something positive out of it. If we all set up our own decentralized websites and platforms, there is no way they can control it all. Yes, it is harder, it is work and it takes some tech know how. But in the end, its more than worth the peace of mind knowing no one can take what you built away ever again.