The Sage Informer

When the United States banned TikTok on January 19th of 2025, all users were devastated. Although the national ban only lasted twelve hours, many high school students were affected. Some users unfortunately deleted the app during the ban, and are now not able to redownload the app onto their phone. 

Senior Vanya Zuniga stated, “I hate to admit this, but I felt a little empty and lost. No social media platform compares to TikTok.” Zuniga continued with why she loved TikTok so much, “My favorite part of TikTok was how I could just endlessly scroll on my for you page, and it’s all videos I enjoy because I built it.” 

Senior Ashlyn Danaman explained her feelings towards the TikTok ban also, “I felt really sad and I felt concerned as well as nervous.” She expanded with, “My favorite part of TikTok was the videos I was able to make with my friends and the connections I could make online.” 

While Danaman and Zuniga were happy when TikTok got unbanned, other high schoolers like senior Ava Bodine weren’t able to redownload the app after they had recently deleted it. Bodine said, “I actually wasn’t all that upset about it. In fact, I’ve been wanting to delete the app for a while now, but I never really had the self control to follow through. So when the chance finally came to get rid of it [TikTok] for good, I jumped at the opportunity! It felt like a weight lifted off my shoulders.”

The TikTok ban created many mixed emotions among the Monticello High School students, good and bad. Luckily, with it being reinstated most things are back to normal.

Violet Bailey, Staff Writer
baivi25@sages.us,