As TikTok's future looms, Gen-Z is flocking to Snapchat and Pinterest. But why?
What these two apps tell us about the future of social media and what app might take over if TikTok falls
TikTok’s legal battle continues (source). They are suing the U.S. government for infringement on the first amendment: freedom of speech. I have written an article about why I don’t think TikTok will sell to a U.S. company, which you can read here.
But the impact is already being felt. I have heard from many TikTokers that their brand deals are drying up. Even if the TikTok ban doesn’t happen, brands seem weary of putting money into building their presence on a platform that might be gone in a few months. But what comes next?
Pinterest and Snapchat both reported huge earnings in Q1 of this year and a stronghold on Gen-Z. I believe there is a huge reason for the rise of these apps and what it represents for the next app that might take over if TikTok falls.
Gen-Z loves “ghost metrics”: Unlike Millennials who were told that the “internet was bad” which led to an insatiable desire to be on it, Gen-Z had to grow up on the internet which made it more of a utility than enjoyment. They associate it with Zoom calls and online assignments. Of course Gen-Z has their online celebrities and embraced TikTok before any other generation. But there seems to be a building resentment around the forceful nature of their digital footprint. They can’t just go into an office and hand in a resume. Now, they have to spend months or years building out a LinkedIn profile in hopes that they will get an entry-level internship.
As a result, Gen-Z loves being online but without the public metrics. They are already compared to their peers in Zoom calls and on job boards. They embrace social media platforms that take away the pressure of performance. On Snapchat, they can send pics to their friends and post stories without anyone else seeing how many views each video got. Of course, you have the verified creators on Snapchat, like myself, whose metrics are more visible but even then, they only show video views if it has gone “viral”. Snapchat described this to me like a “cloud”. Unlike Instagram and TikTok where your peers can see the metrics of each post, they will only show the metrics if the video has picked up steam.
Because of this, I believe we will see the next app that takes over after TikTok be one that embraces ghost metrics. It might be an app that already exists like Snapchat or X. But audiences are craving the ability to post and fail, without the public shame.
Gen-Z values curation over creation: This is where Pinterest comes in. The way that Pinterest operates reminds me of Tumblr back in the day. It was less about your ability to take the best photos and videos. But rather, the most viral accounts are the ones that possess an entirely different but important skill. One of curation.
On top of this, we are living in a world of quick paced trends and information overload. What TikTok showed us is that the apps that people gravitate towards are the ones of hyper-curation. People no longer prefer hyper-curation but demand it. Big platforms like Meta and YouTube might say that their algorithms are hyper-curated, but one browse through Reels or Shorts will show you that “hyper-curation” is far from the truth. People want an app that can cut through the noise. TikTok was the best at that but we might be losing it amidst this legal battle.
I always say, “the nicher you go, the quicker you grow”.
Whether the TikTok divestment happens or not, this legal battle is already shifting people’s attention and money. One of the top comments I get on my profiles and in my DM’s are: “what is the next app?”
While I don’t think anyone has a solid answer and if they say they do, they are lying and you should look at their stock profile. But I do think that these are two trends that are on the rise and the Q1 earnings for Snapchat and Pinterest are further evidence of this theory: audiences want ghost metrics and curation over creation.
Let me know your thoughts and share this with a friend who loves social media as much as you and I!
Email: cocomocoe@gmail.com