How College Students Perceive Their Rights in Social Media Bans

Adela Montes De Oca

Co-Presenters: Individual Presentation

College: Hennings College of Science Mathematics and Technology

Major: BA.CHEM/PREPROF

Faculty Research Mentor: Sarah Coykendall

Abstract:

This qualitative study examines college students’ reactions to the proposed TikTok ban, centering on its implications for perceptions of article 19: freedom of opinion and expression in the digital public sphere. Through thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews with seven students, the research identifies a core finding: participants overwhelmingly perceived the ban not as a national security measure, but as a threat to communicative freedom and an act of governmental overreach. Key themes reveal that students framed TikTok as an essential multifunctional utility for news and grassroots discourse, leading to profound skepticism of the government's stated motives and direct free speech concerns regarding censorship and authoritarian control. The data illustrates a critical disconnect between policy rationale and citizen experience, demonstrating how platform regulation is interpreted by young users as a direct challenge to digital-age expression. The study concludes that the legitimacy of such policies hinges on reconciling security arguments with the protection of accessible digital forums for public speech.