2009 Ke$ha Pop Song Foreshadows Social Media Dystopia

Kesha's "Tik Tok," with its iconic line "Wake up in the morning feeling like P. Diddy," inadvertently set the stage for discussions on the nature of online identity and the performative aspects of social media. By 2024, these themes had evolved into broader conversations about authenticity, privacy, and the influence of foreign-owned platforms on American users. Specifically, the controversy surrounding TikTok, a platform not directly referenced by Kesha but resonant with the song's themes, involved significant debate over its Chinese ownership by ByteDance. The U.S. government, citing national security concerns, pushed for a forced sale of TikTok from its Chinese roots, highlighting fears over data privacy and potential influence by the Chinese government on American users' data and content feeds.

The song's celebration of living in the moment and the lack of concern for consequences, as reflected in the P. Diddy lyric, can also be seen in the context of the "always on" culture that social media platforms like TikTok promote. By 2024, this had led to critiques on not just the mental health implications but also the geopolitical ramifications of such platforms. The push for TikTok's divestiture from Chinese ownership was part of a larger scrutiny on how social media platforms handle user data and whether foreign entities could exploit this information. This controversy was fueled by concerns that ByteDance might share American user data with the Chinese government or manipulate content to serve foreign interests, echoing the song's carefree attitude but now with significant real-world implications.

Moreover, just as Kesha's "Tik Tok" hints at a lifestyle free from care, the backlash against the commercialization and privacy issues on social media platforms like TikTok by 2024 questioned the ethical dimensions of such platforms. The potential forced sale of TikTok underscored the tension between freedom of expression, commercial interests, and national security. Critics argued that a sale wouldn't resolve all issues unless it included changes in how data is managed, while supporters of the sale saw it as a necessary step to protect user privacy and national security. This debate mirrored the song's narrative of living for the present, but now it was about balancing immediate digital pleasures with long-term ethical and security considerations.