"Touching grass cures those symptoms" — Netizens react to report saying TikTok's potential ban could cause "withdrawal symptoms" 

After Joe Biden's administration opted for TikTok's ban, the app is now back for usage by US users. The same happened after Trump passed an executive order delaying the ban. Meanwhile, according to reports by The New York Post, dated January 18, 2025, banning this short-form video app could come with a different set of issues. Several doctors had claimed that banning the app could cause "withdrawal symptoms" for users who were scrolling-addicted.

Explaining the symptoms of withdrawal, Stanford psychiatrist Dr. Anna Lembke told The Post:

"The universal symptoms of withdrawal from any addictive substance are extreme anxiety, irritability, insomnia, depression and cravings – and people who are addicted to TikTok, if they stop using it abruptly, may experience any or all of these symptoms."

The information by experts grabbed attention online and netizens flooded X with their opinions on the same. Many believed that Biden should be thanked for trying to ban the app since people were apparently 'addicted." A user (@sbworld) wrote on X:

"Touching grass cures those symptoms."

Another user tweeted:

"If people are truly that addicted maybe they should keep it banned…"

"If people are having literal withdrawal symptoms from TikTok, they should absolutely delete the app and go outside to get some fresh air," added a tweet.

"If anything Biden deserves a thank you for banning it," mentioned another user.

A lot of other similar responses have been found on X, about the app and its apparent "withdrawl symptoms." A user commented:

"So doctors are recommending keeping tiktok because it’s so bad and addictive?"

"Banning TikTok? Good luck, they'll just find another way to waste their time," added a tweet.

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Several experts are talking about the impact that might be caused due to the potention ban of TikTok

Dr. Anna Lembke was only one of the many experts who have currently been talking about the side effects in case TikTok gets banned in the United States. Dr. Victoria Dunckley, author of Reset Your Child's Brain, believed that dopamine levels would likely reduce as a result of the ban. Dopamine is a chemical released by the brain when an individual is happy and excited.

Dunckley further called the app a stimulation addiction, and said:

"TikTok is really a "stimulation addiction," so to not have that constant dopamine input people get from scrolling, they may feel listless, like they don’t know what to do with themselves, and they could physically feel tired, like they’re crashing from that lack of stimulation input."

According to her, the affected individuals would also have impacts on their egos. Dr. Dunckley claimed that if someone was that invested in the app, they could end up feeling lost and experience a "fractured ego." She then highlighted that if a person could go through these symptoms for two weeks and fight succesfully, there will likely be significant improvements in the overall scenario.

This short-form video app is one of the most popular social media platforms globally as well as across the US. As per Demandsage, the United State is the second biggest consumer of this app with more than 120 million users.