‘My Chinese Spy’ memes show Americans aren’t sold on TikTok ban

In December, in a piece about him Luigi Mangione And America’s “black pile” – the descent into disillusionment –Fox writer Rebecca Jennings described the general malaise hanging over the masses: “All segments of Americans seem to find themselves increasingly in a nihilistic mood… They are disillusioned with the economy and pessimistic about climate change, the dating market, and their loneliness. They are losing confidence in all Almost all major American institutions, from the public school system to police departments, the military, unions, organized religions, and of course the media.

This sentiment also describes much of the attitude toward social media platforms in 2025. X, once considered the city square of the internet, is lousy at dealing with trolls, hate speech, and propaganda. Meta, who appears to be following in the footsteps of X and Elon Musk, is backing down Fact check and Protecting hate speech on Facebook and Instagram at an astonishing pace. Social platforms are poised to become even more toxic to their users as an outrageous bunch Rich and powerful men They struggle with themselves Insecurities about masculinity And freedom of expression.

In comparison, TikTok was not just another social platform. It was personal and even helpful. I’ve been a TikToker for years; It’s a platform that taught me recipes, curly hair care, how to find finances, art tutorials, workout routines, plant care, and much more. It has had a more positive material impact on my life than any other platform, a sentiment shared by many American users. Is this personal influence more important than listening to dry explanations from the government about foreign influence? Just ask TikTokers Now learn Mandarin As they move to RedNote.

Other TikTok users are spending what appear to be the app’s final days saying goodbye. “To my Chinese spy who is monitoring me on my phone.” reads one“We will miss you.” The end times on the app are full of creators asking their fans to follow them elsewhere, while also using every last second Donk on their country And its efforts to ban an app while there are still much bigger problems. “Danger to fucking national security?” says user Brian Andrews In the video With 27 million views. “Yes fucking right.”

Gone are the days when TikTok was seen as just an app where people posted lip syncs and dances. Today, it’s a juggernaut, a finely tuned machine that produces memes, jokes, fashion trends, news, music, slang, and much more faster than any modern social platform.

TikTok’s success exists on both a macro and micro level, dictating cultural trends and giving individuals the ability to curate a certain type of lifestyle through a constantly evolving feed based on your interests. give Artists better platform For people to see their work all over the world. He – she Help the victims In war-torn countries they take their message abroad. It has created a new generation of small business owners, and countless more who can Paving themselves financially To a better life by building an audience.

The threat that the US government claims TikTok poses is of little interest to the average American. Indeed, younger generations have done so always It exists in a highly connected world where Privacy revealedsometimes Since birth. As a TikTok user Crutches_and_spice As she put it: “I don’t care if China has my data! Are you kidding? Everyone has my data.”