In my opinion, no single entity has had a greater impact on the collective consciousness of the United States, and perhaps even the world, than TikTok. What started as a simple lip-synching app has metastasized into a cultural powerhouse, shaping trends, industries and new forms of digital communication. TikTok has been able to entertain and simultaneously influence in a way that no other social media platform has achieved; however, this influence might soon come to a close.
The future of TikTok remains uncertain. Under the Biden and Trump administrations, TikTok faced potential bans in the United States due to concerns over its Chinese ownership and national security risks. While a ban was initially announced for Jan. 19, 2025, the Trump administration extended the deadline by an additional 75 days to allow TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, to negotiate a sale to an American company. Even with this extension, the possibility of TikTok being banned still lingers.
TikTok’s “For You” page is the jewel in its crown of influence. The algorithm exposes users to a diverse range of content that builds on their interests and interactions on the platform. This approach has contributed to the platform’s ability to rapidly spread trends, memes and challenges, shaping popular culture in real time. The unique algorithm has the ability to revive and recontextualize existing media. However, the very same algorithm that can create celebrities from thin air can just as quickly ruin reputations. Due to the platform’s fast-paced nature and propensity for viral moments, any small misstep or misunderstood moment can launch a celebrity into infamy and leave enduring damage to their career.
What sets TikTok apart from other social media platforms is its culture of authenticity. In its early days, just after the app had officially transitioned from Musical.ly to TikTok, it had a fraction of the users that other major social media sites had, resulting in a more raw, unfiltered style of posting. Though TikTok soon grew in popularity and users, the shift in numbers did not cause a shift in the underlying culture of the app, with content staying spontaneous and, more importantly, authentic.
TikTok’s culture of authenticity is the reason why its place within popular culture cannot be taken by any preexisting social media platform. Though both Instagram and YouTube have tried to replicate the popularity of TikTok by introducing short-form videos onto their platform and encouraging more spontaneous content, they have not been able to replicate the same level of authenticity that defines TikTok. This is because the underlying culture of both platforms necessitates production and inauthenticity. For instance, a popular TikTok trend, “Photos I like but wouldn’t post on Instagram,” highlights the stark difference between the two platforms. Instagram, as the trend suggests, is a place for people to curate a polished and specific image rather than showcase an honest view of themselves, whereas with TikTok, authenticity leads to not only popularity, but virality. Even with technical capabilities, Instagram and YouTube’s deep-rooted cultures of perfected performance make it unlikely they could replace TikTok.
So, the biggest question in the event of TikTok’s ban remains: What will replace it? Immediately before the original proposed date of the ban, TikTok users began an exodus to the Chinese platform, RedNote. Unlike YouTube and Instagram, RedNote lacks an entrenched usage culture within the United States, making it easy for the app to mirror TikTok’s culture of spontaneity and authenticity. If the U.S. wants to prevent TikTok’s culture from migrating to foreign platforms like RedNote, it may need to foster the development of an entirely new domestically owned app that mirrors TikTok’s ethos.
If TikTok were sold to an American company, there may still be further risks to its unique culture. U.S. corporate and government-regulated ownership could lead to increased censorship and sanitization of content, alienating users and driving them toward alternatives like RedNote. To truly replicate TikTok’s success, a new app would need to be a blank slate, free from an existing culture that doesn’t align with TikTok, so it could simply take on the existing culture of its predecessor. Without this blank slate, it would be challenging to recreate the authenticity of TikTok that made it a phenomenon.
The essence of TikTok — its rawness, authenticity and unfiltered honesty — is the beating heart of its success as both a business and a cultural institution. It thrives on the spontaneity of its users to share their unfiltered experiences and realities. This authenticity sets it apart from its many curated and polished predecessors in the social media field. If TikTok gives up its rawness for control, it would stifle the creativity and honesty of its community and sow the seeds of its demise, proving no platform is immune to the consequences of losing touch with its identity.
