LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Some young Kentuckians said they felt an emotional impact as TikTok temporarily went dark this past weekend.
The pause came after the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously upheld the federal law that would ban the app unless it was sold by its Chinese parent company ByteDance.
Service has since been restored after President Donald Trump announced he would use an executive order to give TikTok’s parent company more time to find an approved buyer.
TikTok user Shounta Yelder said her screen time is about 8 hours daily and was using the app Saturday when it went dark.
"Every day, 24/7, I’m at work scrolling on TikTok," Yelder said.
TikTok issued a statement to its users, reading, "Sorry, TikTok isn’t available right now. A law banning TikTok in the U.S. has been enacted. Unfortunately, that means you can’t use TikTok for now."
"We are fortunate that President Trump has indicated that he will work with us on a solution to reinstate TikTok once he takes office. Please stay tuned.”
"I was heartbroken; it was worse than my first heartbreak," Yelder said."I was heartbroken; it was worse than my first heartbreak," Yelder said. "I cried like a baby the night before, cried."
A 2022 Frontiers in Psychology study called the app "the most addictive social media platform."
It said TikTok uses an algorithm to cater to the user, making them trapped in an “entertainment spiral.”
TikTok user Niyah Lee said the forced pause in service allowed her to reflect on her time using the app.
"It did make me realize, maybe I’m spending a little too much time on here," Lee said.
TikTok regained service Sunday afternoon, Jan. 19; however, it is not available for download in the Apple or Google Play stores.