By Kate LaGrandeur, Account Executive 

19th January 2025 may forever be ingrained in Gen Z’s brains as the day TikTok went dark, at least for those in the US. After months of back and forth, speculation, and some scepticism on whether it would ever truly disappear, the beloved app did indeed go dark for US users on Sunday 19th. And, in true Gen Z fashion, users went down swinging. Dramatic goodbyes flooded the app, and creators took this as the time to confess their ‘secrets’, which turned out to be lies they’ve been feeding their followers throughout the years. If the app was going down, it was going down in chaos.

Trying to fill the void, alternative platforms quickly rose in popularity. Xiaohongshu, also referred to as RedNote, a Chinese app with a similar layout to TikTok, shot to the top of the app stores in not only the US but the UK too. We can only assume US lawmakers weren’t best pleased by this outcome. Popular creators all over the globe were making accounts on RedNote to keep up with the shift in followers. Additionally, popular creators returned to platforms that once reigned supreme such as YouTube and began reverting to long-form content.

However, little did everyone know, just 24 hours later the app would make a comeback, with a new 70-day extension, sending users on a true rollercoaster of emotions. As an American living in the UK and an embarrassingly addicted TikTok user myself, the ban was a wild ride. While the focus remained on American creators, what struck me more was the ripple effect beyond US borders. Creators in the UK were suddenly facing the possibility of losing the reach, revenue and relevance they gained from American viewers on the platform.

Many may think that with the app now back up and (temporarily) running all goes back to normal. But this isn’t quite the case. One major issue is that the TikTok app is still unavailable in the US App Store, so new users or those who mistakenly deleted the app without knowing the repercussions (sadly I’m a part of this category) can’t download the platform onto their devices. And even for those who weren’t impacted by the ban, there remains a hesitancy around the platform. A more permanent ban still looms in the future should the app not be bought. And even if the app is bought what kind of changes will be made, will it lose its magic touch?

These are discussions that need be had amongst creators globally. With an app that has been such a focal point of content creation in limbo for such a large population of users, is it worth investing more in other platforms? The uncertainty surrounding TikTok’s future serves as a stark reminder of just how fleeting digital platforms can be, anyone remember Vine?  Now more than ever, creators need to diversify their presence across multiple channels as one of the main takeaways of this whole rollercoaster is that adaptability will be key to thriving in our ever-changing social media landscape.