Not Banned, But Broken?
Gen Z's evolving relationship with TikTok in a post-unbanned world
When a TikTok ban seemed inevitable, we were all asking ourselves the same question: where will Gen Zers go if TikTok disappears?
But with TikTok rescued (for now), a new—and more important—question has emerged: how has Gen Z’s relationship with the app changed?
While TikTok survived, it seems Gen Z’s perception of it has shifted. Even when a ‘TikTocalypse’ was still imminent, many users were questioning whether its ‘golden age’ had already passed. And in the immediate wake of the “unbanning”, it became even clearer that the app is not what it used to be — from concerns over censorship to a general feeling that “the vibes are off”.
We decided to ask Gen Zers in our network how they felt and what might have changed in the aftermath of January 19th.
Below, you’ll see some videos, screenshots & analysis from our Inside Gen Z longitudinal digital ethnography, following the lives, mindsets, moods, and minutes spent of 8 TikTok-obsessed Gen Z’ers.
The TikTok ban scare made one thing clear: the app still feels irreplaceable.
Our conversations with 8 Gen Zers last week revealed that it was difficult for them to imagine another platform replacing TikTok’s role in their lives. Even for those who preemptively downloaded RedNote or tried switching to Reels, it became clear alternative apps out there just don’t hit the same.
Here’s what a few of them said:
I’ve had TikTok since 2020, and seeing, like, how far my account has grown, and how my For You Page has changed and how ‘well seasoned’ it is, makes me feel like it would be something very hard to replace. — (21, Male)
Inside Gen Z Panel Discussion, January 29th, 2025.
I feel I laugh more than I ever have and I learn more than I ever have about anything [on TikTok]. And I think the speed at which the algorithm catches on to what you're interested in, like, I literally, I don't even remember what it was, but I searched like one thing and it like fed me like 10 videos about it. — (23, Female)
Inside Gen Z Panel Discussion, January 30th, 2025.
For these Gen Zers, TikTok has become a search engine, a mirror, a guide to whatever phase of life they’re in — a relationship that no other platform has been able to replicate.
Rather than replacing the app, Gen Z may be rethinking how they use the app.
TikTok’s rescue shed light on Gen Z’s reliance on the app, and for some, this realization was a wake-up call to change their relationship with it.
Before and after Trump’s last-minute intervention to save TikTok, (ranked #1 by average time spent in our Gen Z Screen Time Report) we also tracked screen time data across the same 8 TikTok users.
In the week after TikTok’s dramatic un-banning, the majority of our panel cut back on their time on the app.
Overall screen time dropped by nearly 8 hours per week (-15.6% on average)
TikTok usage fell for 6 out of 8 users—dropping the average TikTok screen time across the panel by 49%!
Of those Gen Zers whose TikTok time decreased, some expressed a clear and conscious decision to step back from the app:
As we continue tracking screen time habits in the coming months, we’ll uncover whether declining TikTok usage will stick — or if the irreplaceable nature of the app will quickly draw these users back in.
For now, the real shift isn’t Gen Z quitting TikTok—it’s how they’re rethinking their relationship with it.
The TikTok ban scared Gen Zers with the possibility of nowhere to go — but more importantly, it may have changed the way they perceive and even use the app.
It forced them to take a step back and think about how much they truly rely on it to feel seen and heard. While some have recently cut down on time spent on the app, quitting or replacing TikTok altogether may still feel like too high of a price to pay.
It’s clear that there’s nowhere like TikTok - but Gen Z’s love for it is no longer unconditional.
Our goal is to provide sneak peeks of insights from our study through this ongoing substack series.
At the end of each quarter, we’ll release an Inside Gen Z Quarterly Intelligence Report, a raw and real lens into the evolving cultural forces shaping how Gen Z experiences and engages with the world through culture, commerce, and connections.
These reports (4 per year) will be for paying members only.
For more info, click here or email membership@dcdx.co to learn more.