Life after TikTok
Where to scroll from here: Instagram is a favorite, but YouTube is the sleeping giant. And this week's headlines: Trump's young officials, 'career catfishing,' and young Britons may be over democracy.
I can’t stop thinking about the fires that continue to burn in Los Angeles, devastating the community there. I’ve also been in awe of the first responders and action from community members (both in L.A. and across the country) who are organizing drives and initiatives to help those who have been affected.
One of those organizations is Altadena Girls, started by Avery Colvert — a 14-year-old whose school burned down last week. Colvert started a recovery fund for her community which now has ~32K followers on Instagram. Read more about it here: A Los Angeles Teen Started a Recovery Fund for Wildfire Victims. Now It’s a Movement, Meg Zukin for TIME (h/t
).Amid such tragedy, one thing is clear. Today’s youngest leaders are stepping up to drive change in their communities.
Life after TikTok: YouTube is the sleeping giant
It’s some Gen Zers worst nightmare: concerns about TikTok being a national security threat have finally put the platform on the precipice of a national ban.
The ban is set for January 19, just a day before President-elect Donald Trump takes office. Trump has a “warm spot” for TikTok in part because of the pro-Trump movement on the platform (just look at the performance of his pre-election content). If he somehow finesses a deal to sell TikTok (though likely without its algorithm) to a U.S. buyer (all eyes on Elon… or Mr. Wonderful), he could be a Gen-Z hero. Still, the Supreme Court appears inclined to uphold the ban in a matter of days.
So where do we go from here?
I asked my followers where they will go to scroll if TikTok is no longer available in the U.S.
83% percent said Instagram (account for some bias, as they were already on the platform)
6% said YouTube and YouTube Shorts
12% listed “other” which included Reddit, X (a MAGA follower of mine pointed out it’s American-owned and leans into free speech), LinkedIn, and Pinterest. Another follower said they hope to quit scrolling… they weren’t alone.
0% said Snapchat
Will we finally unplug?
In my list of ins and outs for 2025, I predicted that the Log Off movement could have a renaissance this year. The TikTok ban could be a catalyst for some users to reevaluate their screen addictions. As a friend said, if TikTok is in fact banned, they’ll hopefully be touching grass instead of doom scrolling. But if I’m being honest, I think that’s an overly optimistic take for a generation that grew up online.
* Worth noting… TikTok has already been banned from some university wifi-networks after states banned the apps. As I wrote for Teen Vogue in 2023, that didn’t stop students from accessing the platform. But a national ban would surely look different.
Youtube: The sleeping giant
If TikTok is banned, I predict YouTube will surge. It’s already way more pervasive than we realize.
YouTube is the most popular social media platform in the country. 83% of U.S. adults say they use it, according to a Pew Research study from last year. That number is even higher – 93% – for young adults ages 18-29.
For creators and streamers with podcasts and shows, the platform has always been popular. Younger creators like Emma Chamberlain and Mr. Beast have built up massive followings on YouTube. Even Trump’s granddaughter Kai Trump (also on this year’s in list) is growing a large YouTube following.
Now, YouTube is perhaps best positioned to win market share in the absence of TikTok. Its video-first format is a fit for a generation that prefers their content in video form. YouTube Shorts can only be up to a minute long, but if creators flock to the platform, I expect that will change as well.
Meta-morphosis
I see a generational gap in the way people think about Meta. In conversations with Gen Xers and Boomers, they often focus on Meta as Facebook, which makes sense, given that was a huge part of their introduction to social media. But for young Millennials and certainly the vast majority of Gen Zers, Meta means Instagram.
Meta made headlines last week when Mark Zuckerberg said the company is ditching their third-party fact-checking system and will start to reintroduce political content that had been restricted. The move is meant to boost free-speech (and perhaps, break down echo chambers), and with a possible TikTok ban, the timing could be ripe in a period of fertile ground for youth activism across the political spectrum.
Takeaway: Instagram is the obvious winner here – but it’s not like the platform is getting a huge surge in users. They’re already there – they may just spend more time there. As for YouTube, the platform could see a surge of new users especially if they quickly adjust the YouTube Shorts product.
The economic impact
This is a generation that is hustling and doesn’t feel they have the same financial stability as older generations. In a world where the American Dream feels like a relic of the past, the lure of pulling oneself up by the content-creating bootstraps is real – 57% of Gen Zers said they want to be influencers, according to a 2023 Morning Consult poll. TikTok’s algorithm and the company’s interest in its creators has supported scrappy young people looking to monetize their content on the platform. If their TikTok profiles disappear, that income stream may follow.
Noteworthy reads of the week
Trump picks historically young group of top officials, Erin Doherty for Axios
I hired a Gen Z intern, and she 'quiet quit' in a week. I realized the problem was me and my company., Colleen Batchelder for Business Insider
Welcome to ‘career catfishing’ — Gen Z’s new defiance against endless rounds of interviews and hiring managers who ghost, Chloe Berger for Fortune
21 Reasons Young Women Are Embracing The "Tradwife" Phenomenon According To Gen Z'ers, And Honestly, Some Of These Are Spot On, Michaela Bramwell for Buzzfeed
Opinion: Young rural voters are despairing and need a new standard for success in adulthood, Eric Reeves for The Hill
And a warning from across the pond…
One in five Britons aged 18-45 prefer unelected leaders to democracy, poll finds, Rowena Mason for The Guardian
Substack highlights
I wouldn't market to Gen-Z in 2025 without knowing these stats and insights,
, The Social JuiceI’m a Gen Z Journalist. My Generation Doesn’t Know What That Means.,
, Formula Flash
Rachel- That graph is really enlightening. Frankly it’s eye opening. It really paints a picture of the digital landscape we’re in.
Great read! I really don’t think many young people understand how dominant YouTube is. It’s seriously so far ahead of all the others