Due to national security concerns, the U.S. Supreme Court decided to ban social media app, TikTok on January 19. As of late Saturday and early Sunday, TikTok officially stopped working for all users. Since Sunday, TikTok has slowly become more available to its former users as President Donald Trump vowed to restore the platform. The temporary shut down of TikTok raises the question of how Gen Z would be affected by any potential bans and why the social media app is so popular with teens and young adults.

The simple answer to this question is that Gen Z finds TikTok both fun and useful. Certain aspects of the app make TikTok entertaining and even helpful in some cases, especially when it comes to staying informed about current events. Opportunities to benefit from both entertainment and information is one of the main reasons why TikTok is one of the most used social media apps by Gen Z.

Personalized Content:

Each time someone chooses to view TikTok videos, the algorithm stores data with the videos they have interacted with the most through likes, comments, and amount of times viewed. This stored data creates a customized “for you page,” that provides personalized content that the app’s user prefers viewing best. Videos on a user’s “for you page” can range from genres like cooking videos, fashion, sports, the news, trends, etc. Personalized content based on a user’s “for you page” helps Gen Z enjoy watching the types of videos they are  most interested in on TikTok.

News:

According to the Columbia Journalism Review, “one-third of Americans aged 18–29 regularly get their news from TikTok.” This statistic comes as no surprise considering TikTok users often create content that quickly summarizes news in creative and engaging ways for younger audiences. For many students who already spend a large portion of their time on TikTok, consuming their news through its videos is much easier than learning about current events through a more traditional forum. 

Freshman Avery Walker said, “I see people like Dean, Harry, Parker, and Christ on TikTok. They do lives everyday and they give resources to fact check. After the ban, the creators I get my news from will be moving to Youtube and X so I will follow them there.”

Fun Trends:

Due to Tiktok’s ability to send videos and create a “for you page” with personalized content, the most popular videos rapidly diffuse throughout the platform. Usually, videos such as these are types of trends that have gained popularity after one creator originally started it. TikTok trends are often fun and creative content that relates to many user’s primary interests. Lately, TikTok trends have featured “get ready with me” videos, ASMR, skin care, dances, etc. 

Other trends like in Sophomore Gigi Luka’s case, regard pop culture and current events. Luka said, “I made a video about Beyonce and I was very happy it went viral. I am so sad about the TikTok ban, but I went to Red Note and now I am learning Chinese!”

Social Opportunities:

Trending TikTok videos are a popular conversation topic for Gen Z. Users even use TikTok to communicate with their friends by sending popular videos. Some users have made friends online through TikTok’s platform. In some cases, TikTok is the only method of communication between friends. Without TikTok, individuals who use it to communicate will have to find a new way to stay in touch with their friends.

Zayley Hinds (25’) said, “I usually use TikTok to watch videos. When I post, it’s often with other people. I also like to see what my friends are up to and I usually send them videos once a day.”

Fun Influencers:

Behind many trending videos on TikTok are young influencers who often make money from producing viral videos and sponsoring products. Gen Z users are very familiar with famous TikTok influencers and enjoy consuming their content. Several TikTok creators/influencers have produced enough viral content to earn a regular salary. 

Effects of Losing TikTok:

Many of TikTok creators face the threat of losing their main income source without the ability to produce videos. Although these influencers can continue producing content on other social media platforms, they may face difficulties rebuilding their former audience from TikTok. Several influencers who are unable to continue their platform may have to shift to other occupations. 

For many students, TikTok is their preferred social media platform. Social media apps such as Instagram, Snapchat, and Youtube will likely see an increase in traffic as Gen Z resorts to other apps that will allow them to produce and consume content.

Sara Perez (‘27) said, “I will probably be going to Instagram but I know a lot of people will be moving to Red Note. I might move to Red Note depending on what people say as well. 

Gen Z will have to go back to likely reading actual news in order to stay informed. This may be difficult because TikTok has significantly decreased  the attention span of Many avid TikTok users. 

The Oxford Blue reports “nearly 50% of users surveyed by TikTok said that videos longer than a minute long were ‘stressful’.” For busy students, especially, TikTok has been an interactive way to quickly consume the most essential details surrounding a news story. TikTok bans will potentially force students who want to stay informed on current events to either consume news from other social media apps or read articles and watch a broadcast. Consuming long forum news content may present a challenge to students with a difficulty in focusing on tasks.

Conclusion:

In order to prevent TikTok from being banned, Trump is heavily considering extending its access for 90 days. Trump will potentially encourage a tech investor, like Elon Musk, to purchase TikTok so it is safer for American users.  

Katie Pearson (‘25), who also went viral on TikTok said, “When I initially heard about the ban I was really upset because I love finding new ideas and getting inspiration on there. However, one of my New Year’s resolutions was to spend less time on social media. I am feeling now that maybe it was a sign that I do spend too much time scrolling.”

Even though some could view not having the distraction of TikTok as a positive, many young people are thrilled they will still be able to benefit from the many uses the app offers.