Guest Essay: "'Tic, Doc': The Case for a Viral Detox", by Bree Lindquist 1-18-25

From America's Premier Editorial Cartoonist

“‘Tic, Doc’: The Case For a Viral Detox”

By Bree Lindquist

I want to preface with a pious little disclaimer, here. I do not use TikTok, a social media platform that is slated to be either sold or banned in the U.S. by tomorrow. I don’t allow my children to use TikTok, for largely the same reason I don’t allow them to play in traffic: I love them, and want them to remain healthy in body and mind. That’s why, while I welcome the probable TikTok ban for all the relevant national security-related reasons, I’m actually gladder to see the platform go because I appreciate having an attention span longer than a goldfish’s.

We live in an increasingly online world, and the COVID lockdowns didn’t do much to