With the recent ban of the social media application ‘Tik Tok’ from use in county-owned buildings in Andrews County, I felt there was more of a story to be told, starting with the younger, more impressionable generation. TikTok has not only been dangerous to our national security, but also to mental health. In a section of the Odessa American from December 28th, 2021, titled ‘TikTok posts referencing violence raise anxiety levels at schools’, It became more apparent to me that this application’s content could have a negative impact on the general population as well as National Security.
Looking at the younger generation’s use of this app, kids can get many hits of dopamine after watching short videos of cats or makeup montages. Though dopamine itself is not technically possible to become addicted to, it is possible to become addicted to activities that release dopamine. And after watching these activities, kids are likely to participate. The TikTok ‘challenges’ such as the ‘Blackout Challenge’ and the ‘Burning Pile Challenge’ make it easily recognizable how these are dangerous, for anyone. The dangers of this application (and those like it) to children should become known by every parent, and parents should keep a watchful eye of the content their children view.
Thank you,
Sincerely,
Bryson Ramsey
