Leave TikTok alone - Local users say app has many benefits

At any given time, one can log into social media app TikTok and have a laugh at some of Shaunice Dean's challenges, which may see her showing off her dancing skills or merely reenacting a video.

The 29-year-old also uses the app to distract her from the reality of her battle against colon cancer. As she shares her journey with close to 25,000 followers, she said she receives tons of encouragement. But TikTok may no longer be an escape route for Dean as US authorities are trying get the app banned unless its Chinese owners divest their stakes in it. This news isn't sitting well with Dean.

"I have heard about it but if they ban it, honestly, I don't know what I am going to use to be my escape because this is where I go to escape from my reality and talk about my illness. So I don't know. Lawd Gad," she said.

The new directive comes from the multiagency Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), following years of negotiations between TikTok and the government body. CFIUS is the same group that previously forced a sale of LGBTQ dating app Grindr from Chinese ownership back in 2019.

According to Dean, she is not receiving any monetary gains from TikTok but said the benefits are invaluable.

"It's really a fun app with all the dance trends, sounds and so on. I personally use it not only to share my story but I find a lot of the trends funny. So it's not a serious app and with all that is going on in the world, we really need something to put a smile on our faces," Dean said.

Dancehall artiste Blacksan said he recently joined the app but he is receiving real rewards. He added that TikTok provides an avenue for the average youth to earn a dollar.

"TikTok help nuff people and mi know say TikTok pay for real, slowly but surely. Mi deh pon it fi 'bout five days and believe mi, a roses mi get. It is a platform where a youth can have him raw talent an' do likkle ting and actually make real money weh can do real things. You can make money weh way more than a nine to five, suh mi would wah dem leave it alone," Blacksan said.

Carisse Wright-Smith, founder of EFFIT Influencer Marketing Agency, said the possibility of TikTok being banned in the US would have a significant impact on the social media landscape.

"With many persons spending less time on Instagram and relying more heavily on TikTok for entertainment, a ban would likely create a noticeable shift in user behaviour. It could also cause users to seek out new platforms to fill the void left by TikTok's absence. It may also mean that VPN (virtual private network) use will go up as persons in the US find ways to beat the system," she said.