The Tik Tok Ban Begins...

Get the Point!

Nobody asked me, but...

The real problem with the currently banned Tik-Tok in the U.S. is the same as any social media app, which is that we exist in the second "Know Nothing" age, one in which many millions of people are easily influenced by "algorithms," "propaganda," and outright lies all because:

1. They lack the fundamental reading comprehension skills to discern facts from fiction in the cyber public square;

2. They can read and comprehend just fine, but lack the desire to discern facts from fiction while holding political and corporate leaders accountable;

3. They eschew the educational benefits of the app in favor of 24/7 entertainment—an escape, if you will from the realities of high food, gas, medicine, and housing prices—and stagnant salaries—in favor of watching (or creating) skits and dance videos that last for hours, days, weeks, and months at a time!

As one who is opposed to censorship and believes that the First Amendment allows Americans to view, read, and reflect upon words and ideas with few limitations, I've watched in mild astonishment over the past five years as Republicans and Democrats debated the Tik Tok issue while toying with the stark reality that censorship has always been the hallmark of fascist and communist regimes! These debates have often boiled down to both sides at various times declaring concerns that Tik-Tok "poisons minds" and "influences evil."

Conversely, I've always believed that such blame belongs squarely on the shoulders of anyone who lacks the discipline to sharpen their minds and to question whether what's placed before them truly aligns with the values that they hold dear as individuals living in a global community that grows smaller by the day? Tragically, far too many Tik Tok devotees rarely reach that last question as they cue up the next old school Rock, Rap, or R&B short to learn the 50/11th variation on some Tik Tok dance routine (I can't hardly enjoy some of my favorite songs like 2 Pac's How Do You Want It, Mint Condition's Breaking My Heart/Pretty Brown Eyes, or Paul Anka's Put Your Head On My Shoulders when scrolling on IG or FB without seeing some folks conceived DECADES after they were hits dancing ad nauseam 😡😂)

Digressing, it doesn't matter to me if some mad computer scientists are sitting in a room somewhere trying to influence my mind to believe that the Earth is flat, that the sun rises in the west and sets in the east, or that Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, and the Tooth Fairy are real when I know that they are fake 😂! Sadly, the same ability to find the truth doesn't apply for many of the millions who are angry this morning that they cannot get their Tik Tok fix on and who...wait for it...will hail the Marmalade Mephistopheles (Donald Trump) as their political Lord and Savior should he "save" Tik Tok via Executive Order—or, by having one of his billionaire boys club friends buy the American rights to the app during the first 100 days of his new administration 😢.

And yet, lest we forget that the problem isn't the Tik Tok app—it's us!