Gen Z is missing the early days of TikTok. While there’s no doubt that TikTok is still one of Gen Z’s favorite platforms (though not always the top, with YPulse data showing it battles with YouTube), changes over the years have started brewing mixed feelings. According to a new survey, many young users are feeling like the unfiltered, anyone-can-end-up-on-the-FYP vibe they love TikTok for is becoming secondary to long-form content, ads, and shopping promotions. Now, 79% of Gen Z say they miss the app’s early days and 72% say it “feels staged and performative.” They also point to perceived changes in algorithm; especially since the U.S. sale changed the algorithm owners, many users say their feed just doesn’t know them like it used to. But, despite it all, YPulse data shows over and over that Gen Z feels trends start on TikTok, it has their favorite content, and many even feel they couldn’t live without it—so the odds they’d really walk away over some of these feelings aren’t high. (Fortune)
👀 Read more from YPulse: Gen Z’s Top Social Media Platforms Heading into 2026
