TikTok remains the cultural hub for Generation Z, but a growing number of young users in the United States say the platform has lost some of its early appeal as advertising, influencer marketing and privacy concerns reshape the app’s ecosystem.
A new report by research and analytics firm The Harris Poll found that no other generation relies on a single platform as heavily as Gen Z relies on TikTok for cultural discovery, with engagement nearly double that of YouTube, the second-most popular platform among the demographic.
Yet the study suggests the short-video app’s relevance may be weakening among younger users.
Some 79 percent of Gen Z TikTok users say they “miss the early days” of the platform, before the rapid growth of brand partnerships and the launch of TikTok Shop, the company’s e-commerce initiative.
Among those surveyed, 41 percent said they miss a time with fewer ads and brands, while 34 percent said they preferred when content felt more relatable and unfiltered. About 33 percent said they miss the absence of TikTok Shop, and 27 percent said they would prefer less influencer culture.
“Gen Z resents TikTok’s commercialization more than any other generation,” the report said, adding that the backlash against TikTok Shop and the erosion of niche communities appear to affect younger users most strongly.
Concerns about privacy and content moderation have also increased following political scrutiny of the platform in the United States and ownership changes involving TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance.
According to the survey, 74 percent of Gen Z users say they now think more carefully about who they interact with on the platform, while 60 percent report trusting TikTok less than they did previously.
More than half of respondents said they believe the platform is more censored than it was a year ago, and 64 percent said recent ownership developments made them more aware of how their data is used. About 28 percent of users aware of the ownership changes said they were more concerned about free speech.
The report also found a shift in how users feel when using the platform.
Nearly three-quarters of respondents said the content in their feeds now feels more staged and performative, while more than half described TikTok as “more commercial” than it was a year earlier.
Some users also said the platform’s once-praised recommendation algorithm has become less accurate, with 33 percent reporting they now have to actively “train” their algorithm to keep content relevant.
Creators appear to be responding as well. Nearly half of Gen Z creators surveyed said they are posting less frequently or shifting attention to other platforms, and roughly one-third of users said they had noticed the change.
“Gen Z still shows up to TikTok every day, but they’re showing up skeptical, exhausted and nostalgic,” said Libby Rodney, chief strategy officer at The Harris Poll. “That’s not loyalty — that’s habit. And habits break.”
