TikTok serves as both a cultural reset and a potential downfall

The release of a new song, the beginning of a trend, the rise in fame of an artist—lately, all of the signs seem to be pointing to TikTok. In a way, the versatile social media platform is shaping the current generation right before our eyes. 

Influencers have accumulated enough money for their entire lives, starting from just one breakthrough video, and celebrities have made millions off of their products and music being displayed on the cash-flowing app. But when the longevity of TikTok is being put into question from its impending ban, the success of all of these influencers is up in the air.

Smaller companies have put themselves on the map and made monumental strides from the help of TikTok, and now their fate is in deep danger. So many of these underground companies, who would otherwise be overshadowed by larger-scale corporations, gain all of their traction from the dissipating app, and its ban has the potential to result in their downfalls.

Influencers depend on TikTok for their daily income, and its ban could leave the careers of a multitude of individuals who are now on the rise on the brink of destruction. 

Along with the money-making component, TikTok is responsible for the spur of trends that have ranged from fashion to dances alike. Without grasping a strong hold on cultural movements, the scope of our current generation’s behavior has already been forever altered. TikTok’s ban is not only a governmental act, but also a social change that marks the end of a short-lived but largely impactful era.