There has been an increasing push to outlaw the social media video app TikTok in the United States. MSNBC host Chris Hayes believes there are two reasons why the push has gained legs amongst Republican lawmakers.
In a post to X, the primetime host argued that the political narrative is being shaped by the app, while it also affects the media landscape.
“Increasingly of the belief that TikTok is massively shaping public opinion and discourse (I’m pretty sure in a right-wing direction),” Hayes wrote. “It is the apex predator of the media eco-system; it’s what slot machines are to casino gambling.”
The comments from Chris Hayes were in response to that of digital media host Peter Hamby who said that the app has a “powerful influence on the American public and can shape their political behavior.”
Politico reporter Olivia Beavers claimed a member of a Republican representative’s staff said the barrage of negative comments from constituents has become overwhelming.
“It’s so so bad. Our phones have not stopped ringing,” the staffer said. “They’re teenagers and old people saying they spend their whole day on the app and we can’t take it away.”
In response to the push from lawmakers to ban the app, TikTok has begun displaying notifications for users to call their legislators and “tell them to stop a TikTok shutdown”, with a direct “call now” button that allows users to immediate call the Congressional offices of their representatives.
