As far as school goes, students and teachers can be very affected by social media. TikTok is infamously known to be a very addicting way to procrastinate from schoolwork, yet also contain easily accessible news and information for teenagers. The popular social media app has had impacts inside and outside of the classroom. According to a CNN Survey, 63% of US teens said they used TikTok. Whether the impact is good or bad, TikTok affects millions of highschoolers across the nation.
English department head Andrew Carlson said TikTok is one of multiple distractions in class and should be used in moderation.
“(Overall), some in-class production is affected not just by TikTok in general but also (by) online games or applications,” Carlson said. “TikTok is something that students should learn to use, like anything else, responsibly.”
Sophomore Zach Stillman said he spends a lot of time on TikTok. According to him, it can be very distracting in school.
“I’m on (Tiktok) daily for multiple hours. I tend to spend most of my free time on my phone there,” Stillman said. “It definitely worsens my student ability, as sometimes I’ll be in class scrolling on TikTok instead of listening to the teacher.”
Senior Griffin Krone said TikTok negatively influences his view on school as a whole, as it encourages other options besides school.
“It doesn’t help me as a student,” Krone said. “I see Tiktoks saying how bad school is and how I don’t need a college degree, and that makes me not want to do schoolwork.”
Stillman said TikTok negatively impacts his studying, but it is entertaining to use when he gets the chance.
“TikTok definitely makes me procrastinate at home when I should be doing my homework,” Stillman said. “As a student, I’d definitely be better off without TikTok, but in my personal life, I prefer to have it because it is enjoyable.”
Carlson said TikTok can be used for different things, and it’s not necessarily a bad thing all the time. According to him, people can learn a lot on TikTok.
“I’ve seen multiple aspects of people using TikTok,” Carlson said. “I’ve seen it as a form of communication, as well as a form of keeping in the know and learning what’s going on in the outside world.”
Krone said TikTok gives him a point of view that he might not find somewhere else.
“It gives me lots of interesting information,” Krone said. “I like to learn things on TikTok that I might not usually learn anywhere else.”
