On April 24, 2024, US President Joe Biden signed a law that could potentially ban popular app TikTok if it is not sold by its Chinese-owned technology company ByteDance within twelve months.
The law will not affect the popular app in the immediate future as it is expected to face legal challenges and other delays. However, a TikTok ban could eventually have a significant impact on classrooms, as both students and teachers have embraced the platform for instruction and learning.
tech & Learning reached out to our regular advisors and contributors for their thoughts on how TikTok's absence might impact us.
How do you think the TikTok ban will affect classrooms and education?
Erik Ofgang, author and adjunct professor, Western Connecticut State University
When it comes to TikTok, I'm more of a Boomer than my current generation (Millennial) and I've never enjoyed using TikTok, but from what I've heard, it's a hit with kids and with many educators who are more open to the new. means that I. For them, losing TikTok will be huge.
If the current twitter/x collapse taught us anything, it is that communities that have formed on one platform do not necessarily migrate to other platforms, even if those other platforms have more or less the same capabilities. It's kind of like when a beloved bar or hangout closes, the scene could move to another part of town, but it very rarely does.
Carl Hooker, educational consultant
I don't think a TikTok ban will affect classrooms or education much. I think some of TikTok's features, like creating short video instructions, are useful for students and teachers. Children (and adults) are very captivated by short-form videos, which can be distracting and unproductive (although fun in the moment). Users will gravitate towards YouTube Shorts or instagram Reels to satisfy this craving instead of TikTok.
I also predict that the void left by the TikTok ban will likely be filled by another company much like what's happening with twitter/x right now. Overall, I would say that a TikTok ban will have little impact (negative or positive) on education.
Todd Dugan, Superintendent, Bunker Hill, Illinois
It won't have any impact. It will simply be replaced by another application.
Mike Afdahl, technology Services Coordinator, Northwest GA RESA
It is a place of entertainment, but also an engine of culture. Similar to how television and movies were drivers of culture from the 1950s to the early 2000s, TikTok drives culture among our middle and high school students. Banning that will have an impact on the elimination of that cultural training platform.
However, FB/instagram/YouTube were (and are) culture drivers before TikTok, and they can fill that gap. These things are cyclical, as I remember logging into AOL Instant Messenger in my youth.
It also removes a content creation site, which many educators use to get ideas, share similar struggles or successes, and build a community around a content creator or topic.
Stephanie Smith Budhai, Associate Clinical Professor, Department of Teaching, Learning and Curriculum, Drexel University
Regardless of which side of the TikTok ban you fall on, the field of education will be affected. The ban presents an opportunity for educators, administrators, families, and communities to take a deep look at the use of similar social media technologies, focusing not only on the academic benefits of their use, but also on what it means to use these sharing tools. information, possible misinformation and disinformation and privacy.
Michael Gaskell, author and director, Central Elementary School, East Brunswick, New Jersey
My answer is divided into two parts to recognize the dichotomy between advantages and concerns associated with TikTok and other social media sources in general.
As a father of two teenage girls, I've learned that much of your personal research is often organized around social media hotspots, like TikTok. For example, they may discover a recipe that appeals to them and that we try on TikTok. Or they may discover a nearby must-see destination that we know little about and that perhaps would not have been our discovery without the use of Tik Tok. And these are just personal examples. Students on TikTok are discovering ways to solve math problems, craft a persuasive essay, and even get tips on how to properly interact in an interview.
These are just a few of the many advantages students gain from using TikTok and other social media sources. Clearly, the interface has become a popular destination for them, and the appeal and appeal of the way information is communicated is working.
On the other hand, benefits come with challenges. Recently, social media CEOs testified before the Senate about known and research evidence about how social media was causing harm to children. Tragically, some have even lost their lives due to the destructive impacts of toxic social media.
We know that bullying persists on social media and monitoring student behavior can be difficult. Students often feel anonymous and experience the “disinhibition effect,” a way in which people can dissociate from their real selves and become a much worse version online. We see this happen every day and TikTok is no exception.
Much of the attention is focused on security concerns and international exposure of information on Tik Tok. The most immediate concern lies in the known harm caused to children. Best summed up in a timeless classic, former President Teddy Roosevelt once said, “Comparison is the thief of joy.” A big challenge that children face today is always feeling like they have to live up to their expectations on social media. They don't rest or rest from this. It's constant, 24/7, and they don't sleep well because they're glued to their phones under their pillow.
These issues certainly need to be addressed and while restricting TikTok is one attempt, the answer lies in how we manage social media and the impacts on children in general. Take advantage of the advantages, teach and minimize the disadvantages. These are the solutions that will work in the long term.
