When TikTok mobilized its users to lobby Congress, it backfired spectacularly.

Interesting to note here: getting preteens to confusedly call Congress with threats of self harm and questions like “what is Congress” with a push notification is not the best plan

  • Thorny_Insight@lemm.eeEnglish
    38·
    8 months ago

    I totally agree that it’s bad for us but so are a thousand other things aswell. I wouldn’t want the government mandating what I can eat and drink, how much I have to sleep and exercise, what substances I’m allowed to smoke, which risky activities I can to partake in etc. I should be allowed to live an unhealthy lifestyle if I so decide.

    If we’re going to ban TikTok based on the negative health effects then it seems a bit hypocritical to me that we’re ignoring things like sugar, tobacco and alcohol or if we’re strictly speaking of media content then porn should be the first thing to go. I don’t understand how one can be for banning one but not the another.

    • atrielienz@lemmy.worldEnglish
      51·
      8 months ago

      But the government literally already does that. There’s a whole food and drug administration. Weed isn’t completely de-scheduled yet despite the number of states that have legalized it. You literally can’t go to a shooting range without following the rules of the range, or go skydiving without signing a waiver, you can’t buy alcohol until you’re 21, and in some states can’t even buy cigarettes until then either. Want to rent a car? Can’t at 19. The government interferes in cases of public safety all the time.

      That being said they aren’t attempting to ban tik tok because of the effects on the public’s mental health. That’s BS. They are trying to force the sale of tik tok to a US friendly tech company because they don’t like how much power the CCP has over it. The purpose isn’t to protect privacy or mental health. It’s to only allow companies friendly to the US to affect the mental health of its residents and collect their private data.