RICHMOND, Va. — For mom and book enthusiast Margerie Crawley, TikTok is more than just another social media app.
The Chesterfield resident’s growing collection of more than 100 books was influenced by the community she’s built on TikTok.
"TikTok was a ray of light and a really dark time for me and my family," Crawley said. "For me, 'BookTok' has brought me so many people that are like, hey friend, or you know, like, check this out, or do this."
When Crawley clicked on the app late Saturday night, she like millions of other Americans was met with a message that the app was unavailable.
"I went to my TikTok and I got that message, 'Oh, Tiktok has been banned,' And and I was like, 'There's no way,'" Crawley said. "And so I got out of my app, and I went back in and I did it again. And I think I felt like somebody had taken my breath. I was like, 'Where are my friends gonna go?'"
It was a goodbye she and Richmond college student Casey Cassell weren’t sure would ever actually happen following the U.S. government's decision to ban the app more than eight months ago.
"It was funny to see the collective crashout that everybody had and how dependent we are on it," Cassell said. "I would literally open TikTok forgetting that they banned it."
But not even 24 hours after the app's removal, it was back online greeting its American users with a message thanking President-elect Donald Trump for his efforts after he said he would issue an executive order once inaugurated giving the parent company more time to find a U.S. buyer and avoid a permanent ban.
It's an extension Crawley, Cassell and three other Richmonders we spoke with off camera say they’re happy about.
"I definitely appreciate that it's back," Crawley said.
"So many small business owners use live and TikTok shop like to basically make their living," Cassell said. "It's kind of hard to just take away something so many people rely on, it’s like if they took away Amazon."
And while both feel the cyber safety of TikTok users is important and want the issue resolved, they also want the app to stay open, describing the platform as a multi generational space unlike any other.
"Instagram has Instagram reels but you can’t go on Instagram and look up a sourdough recipe," Cassell said.
"I follow, people that you know, they have, they've given birth, and people become sober, it's not just people that look like me, it's people of all, you know, nationalities and ages," Crawley said. "Of course, there's division, right? Like, of course, some of it is, is political, and there's conflict, and there's difference of opinions. But overall, I think it does more good than bad where we are right now."
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