If you blinked, you might have missed it. Just as quickly as it went away earlier this month, TikTok made its return, and Dwyane Wade, for one, was not surprised. The former Miami Heat star talked on The Why podcast about the importance the app has taken on in so many people’s everyday lives and even how he uses it himself.
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“If I go to a new area or community or place, I’m going to TikTok. If I wanna go eat, I’m gonna find out what’s in that area. I’m not gonna go to Google, I’m gonna go to TikTok, because TikTok is not only gonna give me places to go, but they’re gonna show me video of people trying the food, talking about the food, showing me the restaurant, giving me the whole layout. So TikTok has become way more universal than some dance moves. I’m sure there’s way more I don’t know, but I do see a lot of people using TikTok as this device that is important in so many different facets of life.”
People around the country were up in arms when the popular app was briefly banned, but it was quickly brought back much to the relief of many. Wade avoided getting into the political machinations of what brought TikTok back (definitely a smart move in this age of heightened political rhetoric), but he said that he knew the ban wouldn’t last because of how many people depend on it.
“I just know that it’s a revenue stream that has been incredible… I never thought it was going nowhere.”
Dwyane Wade has an enlightened understanding of social media
Wade not only celebrated TikTok’s return, he also talked about how social media at large can be a good thing, even when it may seem to expose some of the uglier parts of society. One example he gave is how he never turns the comments off when he posts to social media, even if faceless keyboard warriors use the comment section as a way to try to attack him or his family, because he’s curious about how other people think.
“Everyone has a different opinion, and so the comments are there for people to have an opinion. Now, if I take those opinions personally, that’s on me. But I’m not telling people, ‘Hey, only comment on my page because you like me only or because you like everything I do.’ … I wanna know how people think that’s different than I. Because there’s always a time for education, there’s always a time for moments where you see people saying something and they may not have had the same life experiences as you had, and so you can’t even fault them for not having those life experiences.”
TikTok’s swift return was brought about in part from an immediate backlash from its users. At the end of the day, social media is about finding ways to stay connected with one another, whether you’re sharing NBA highlights, viral dances, or restaurant reviews. Taking away a means for people to connect was never going to be popular, so it’s a good thing that it’s back.
