On January 19, the Supreme Court confirmed the ban on TikTok, leaving millions of users scrambling for a new entertainment platform to fill the void. For students, TikTok has been more than just an app—it’s been the birthplace of viral trends, challenges, and entertainment. Where are students going to turn to next for viral trends?
TikTok and Instagram have always been popular social media platforms and people often see it as TikTok’s closest competitor, but TikTok seems to have to upper hand when it comes to starting the viral trends. While Instagram Reels frequently following TikTok’s lead by recycling its trends rather than creating its own. However, with TikTok gone, some students believe Instagram Reels could rise to the occasion.
“It’s kind of like the same thing as TikTok, it’s almost the same thing, just more edgy,” Jorge Torres (10) said. “It’s a scrolling social media platform just like TikTok, and it’s also funny and entertaining. I don’t really mind that Instagram Reels is mainly just viral TikTok reuploads, once TikTok is gone Instagram Reels will be the main origin of viral trends, because it’s already relatively popular.”
Another platform gaining traction is REDnote also known as “Xiaohongshu” in China. Unlike TikTok, which was targeted for its ties to Chinese ownership, REDnote is fully owned and operated by China, creating an ironic twist to the ban. Many students are turning to the app in defiance of the decision, finding its algorithm and content style similar to TikTok’s.
“I would go to either Instagram Reels or REDNote, this is because these are the only platforms I’m aware of and people recommended them to me,” William Lopez-Hernandez (10) said. ” REDnote is a Chinese-based app that is similar to TikTok and has a similar algorithm, because apparently, it’s already really popular in China my friends have been telling me.”
As time goes on it can be possible for students to favor these new platforms over TikTok. With enough new users any app can start to gain traction.
“I prefer Instagram Reels over TikTok,” Lopez (10) said. “they’re kind of funnier and it’s a little more unhinged than TikTok. As of recently, there has been a lot of nonsense happening on TikTok such as ‘brainrot’ trends and unnecessary features like ‘reposts’. Maybe this ban will help us find something better.”
