TikTok is a Chinese conspiracy. Whether or not that statement is true is besides the point. From where I sit, it seems legislators and common citizens are starting to realize just how much we humans like our scrolling screens and how much it is affecting economic productivity. In appropriate fashion, the legislators seek to curb these tendencies in the only way they know, by instating laws and blaming foreign governments as justification. However, this belittles their constituents and treats them as irresponsible children, dictating to them what they can and can’t do. This sounds more like a totalitarian state than the home of the freest people on earth. I am not saying I support TikTok and believe they are a “good” company; frankly, the nuances to that are beyond my current knowledge to give any sort of ethical verdict there. Rather, I am saying there should be a different approach to decreasing unproductive behavior. You can tell a child: yes or no. period. But, a self-respecting, grown adult requires persuasion. True, effective, non-polarizing, sustainable, progressive change comes by convincing someone of a more enticing future. Ideological shifts affect better outcomes than legal restraints. Granted, ideologies take time to develop and require mass unification, which has been the greatest challenge for every civilization ever. However, just as in everything worth anything, little steps compound over time. We need to begin building a world where real life is more compelling than the virtual ones. Suburbia should be destroyed; every person should be able to look up from their screen and see buildings filled with warmth and grandeur, vehicles transporting potential and life, cities holding curiosity and connection, and a world so connected and magnificent they cannot help but add to it. It is a lofty vision, but beginning by treating the very people who can build this future like helpless, ignorant children is a leap in a very wrong direction.
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