Short Story The Last Dance TikTok Ban The announcement came on a gray morning, its gravity spreading like wildfire through social media. TikTok was officially banned. The government, citing concerns about data privacy and cultural preservation, had pulled the plug on the app that had become the heartbeat of a generation. For Mia, it was as if someone had ripped the soundtrack out of her life. Mia’s room was a shrine to TikTok. Posters of viral stars adorned her walls, a ring light sat in one corner, and her phone—now devoid of its beloved app—rested lifeless on her bed. She scrolled through her gallery of old videos: dance challenges with her friends, silly skits, heartfelt messages to her followers. Each one was a memory, a piece of herself. “It’s just an app,” her mother said over breakfast, trying to sound reassuring. “Life will go on.” But it wasn’t just an app to Mia. It was her outlet, her community, her stage. That evening, Mia met up with Ravi and Emma at their usual spot, an a...