This is a story of [[Co-optation]] and resistance. A casual observer may find it odd that the Biden Administration simultaneously courted TikTok influencers while actively trying to shut the app down. It makes more sense when you look at it from the angle that Biden viewed the activism on TikTok as a threat to his presidency, legacy, re-election, etc, and you start to consider possible strategies to neutralize this perceived threat. Since the pandemic, young progressive Americans are spending their time on Tiktok. The platform has become a place where activists network, share information, and organize. Attitudes around status quo politics were rapidly changing, as more young Americans shifted further to the left. Content creators with hundreds of thousands of followers were not shy about criticizing the democrats and President Biden. Republicans clocked the Tiktok problem far earlier than Democrats, so the idea of banning the app was already floating around. But by the time Biden and Dems realized the threat, it was already too close to Biden's second election. Banning tiktok would take too long. Biden needed to do something else to neutralize the threat. The White House then began courting prominent TikTok creators as a way to co-opt the progressive movement happening on the app. Co-optation strategies attempt to absorb the opposition into the ruling political class by offering privileged status in the administration. This includes access to powerful political figures and special events, free trips, meals, and hotel stays. This creates tension within the movement and increases suspicion.