De Soto High School’s new phone policy, which prohibits non-school administered technological devices to be used during educational instruction time, is nothing new to students. Although the restrictions, the booming social media platform Tik Tok is prevalent within the halls of De Soto. Freshman Presley Reinertsen downloaded the app recently and fell in love with it. 

“It makes me giggle and it makes me want to make other people laugh,” Reinersten said. 

The platform as a whole consists of a wide variety of videos structured around humor, cosplay or even crafty DIY.  Users also use the app to create videos of them dancing. Reinertsen explained that she enjoys “making videos these kinds of videos with her peers at lunch or during passing period. 

Senior Colton Jones downloaded Tik Tok and made and account as a joke, but once he discovered what the app was all about, he felt differently. 

“I ended up liking it a lot and have found a lot of fun in it,” Jones said. 

Although Jones primarily makes dancing videos with friends or participates in different trends that commonly go viral, Jones also sees something deeper within the Tik Tok platform. 

“I love how it brings people of all different kids together and lets everyone express who they are. Also it lets you connect with people from all over the world,” Jones said. 

Senior Quinlan Robke decided to download Tik Tok for a different reason.

“I decided to download Tik Tok to hop on the bandwagon and to see what people were doing.” Robke said. 

Robke then explained her love for banished social media platform, Vine, and how she believed Tik Tok is similar. 

“My favorite thing about Tik Tok is that it contains similar content that Vine was made of and that makes me love it because Vine was the greatest thing ever created,” Robke said.

Although the new phone policies restrict students from using their phone, the devices have been used during non-educational time to create videos.

“One of my most popular videos is a video I made with Mr. Hoffman dancing,” Robke said.

With the platform containing a wide variety of ways for individuals to use it, some find the platform to be inspirational. 

“Tik Tok is inspirational to my life whether it’s the way I dance, eat, or even talk,” Robke said.