TikTok and the American Attention Economy

A 45-second read

TikTok, Trump: A 75-Day Social Media Power Play

In the latest installment of “Only in America,” President Donald Trump signed an executive order granting a 75-day reprieve from the TikTok ban. But let’s be real—this isn’t about national security, it is a stunt. It’s about sucking up the admiration of the millions of lip-syncing, dance-challenging TikTokers across the country. A classic Trumpian move designed to snatch headlines, rally his base, and remind the youth that he’s still in the game.

Let’s back up

TikTok, with its infinite loop of dopamine hits disguised as dance trends and chaotic humor, has been under the national security microscope for years. Why? Because its parent company, ByteDance, is based in China. U.S. officials have long worried that TikTok could share Americans’ data with the Chinese government. This has led to calls for a ban—or, more pragmatically, a forced sale of TikTok’s U.S. operations to an American company.

The Supreme Court recently upheld a January 19 deadline for ByteDance to divest TikTok or face a ban. ByteDance didn’t meet it. Enter Trump’s executive order, which extends the deadline by 75 days. On the surface, it looks like a magnanimous move to save an app beloved by over 170 million Americans. Beneath the surface? It’s likely a play to keep his name in the headlines and score points with Gen Z voters and influencers alike. (Cue viral TikTok memes of Trump doing the “Renegade.”)

There is more at stake here

But let’s zoom out for a second—this isn’t just about TikTok. It’s about what apps like TikTok are doing to us. Studies show that the average attention span is shrinking faster than the latest TikTok dance fad. Research by Dr. Gloria Mark reveals that our screen attention spans have plummeted from two and a half minutes in 2004 to just 47 seconds today. Thanks to platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and, yes, Elon Musk’s X (formerly Twitter), we’re training our brains to crave short bursts of stimulation at the expense of sustained focus.

Remember when we used to read books? Like, for hours at a time? Now we’re lucky if we can make it through a tweet thread without checking our notifications. TikTok has become the poster child for this shift, with its endless scroll of algorithmically curated, bite-sized videos. Sure, it’s entertaining. But it’s also rewiring our brains, making it harder to focus, read, and, let’s face it, think critically.

Follow the money

Here’s the kicker: This 75-day reprieve might not just be a publicity stunt for Trump. It might be a soft handoff to Trump’s techbros. The smart money is on an American billionaire stepping in to "save" TikTok—and who better than Elon Musk? He’s already turned X into a chaotic digital playground. Adding TikTok to his portfolio would give him even more influence over the attention economy. Think of it: Musk could control both the short bursts of video entertainment and the dumpster fire of political discourse. What could go wrong?

In the end, the TikTok saga isn’t just about data privacy or geopolitical tension. It’s about the battle for our most valuable resource: attention. And as this drama unfolds, one thing’s clear—someone, likely an American tech mogul, is going to come out of this even richer and more influential. So, keep scrolling. Or don’t. Either way, they win.