
Good morning. It's January 19th, 9:39am, and TikTok has officially been banned for a little over eleven hours.
And I'm angry.
On the surface, yes I am angry because I'm losing the community I built. While it's true that many, many other Booktokers had a larger following than I did, I still felt so honored that I should even have 1,000 people care about what I had to say, let alone 55K.
Booktok brought me back to reading. While I read voraciously as a child and teenager, that love started to fade during college and grad school. Or, rather, not fade but take a backseat. I was reading for class; I had no time to read for pleasure.
And then 2020 dawned. COVID kept us locked up inside, and I suddenly had all this free time that I hadn't known I was missing. You're probably thinking this is when I picked up a book again.
Wrong. This is when I downloaded TikTok.
But TikTok led me to Booktok, which led me back to reading. Just look at this picture, taken in early 2021 of all the books I had purcashed because of Booktok (and yes, it's a lot of SJM - I was on mainstream Booktok initially. I've since broken free.):

I never imagined I'd create content myself. Now look where we are.
So, yes, I'm angry that TikTok is gone. But, more importantly, I'm angry at our government's priorities.
I'm angry that they've banned an app before they've banned guns. I'm angry because I myself am a teacher, and every day on my way to work its in the back of my mind: _a school is a dangerous place to be. _The fact that the massacre of six-year-olds at Sandy Hook did not lead to the immediate action of our government speaks volumes.
I'm angry that they've banned an app before they've fixed our healthcare system. I'm angry that despite having what some might say is excellent health insurance, I'm still paying off my stay at the hospital after an emergency last spring. How many Americans have died because of the greed of corporations?
And I'm angry that Tr*mp is clearly paving the path toward "saving" TikTok. He will assume the Oval Office and a position that he should NOT have and when he reinstates the app many will sing his praises.
"At least he saved TikTok!" they will cry as the country continues to burn, Trump holding the matches.
I'm tired. And I'm angry. And I'm so, so sad.
At least there is Bookstagram. And Booktube. And at least there is this: Mood Reads, and this little community here.