Now more than ever, TikTok creators and consumers are trying to figure out what might be next if the U.S. TikTok ban does make the app disappear nationwide. Some have been trying other apps, while others have already pivoted back to Instagram. Many still aren't sure what their next step will be if TikTok is no longer a viable option for creation, entertainment, or otherwise.
TikTok has become so embedded in our everyday culture over the past four years in particular that it's hard to imagine what life online might be like without it. This makes it pretty easy to forget that life online did in fact exist before TikTok -- and it won't crash and burn just because one app disappears no matter how significant it has become.
It's not fair that creators relying on TikTok for income -- no matter how big or small -- are going to have to find alternative ways to make money. But many of them will find other ways even if it takes time to bounce back.
There are a million ways to find and provide entertainment online, and those seeking these outlets will find them, grow their platforms, and move forward even when it's difficult to do so. As the social internet evolves, many of us have done this plenty of times already. Think of all the original YouTubers who don't make YouTube videos anymore, but have found success in other avenues because of the audiences they gained from the platform.
This is not an ideal situation -- no one likes to be uprooted from a place they feel comfortable in and forced to find somewhere new. But we've done it before and we can (and will) do it again. If you want to be a content creator, you will find a way, a place, an audience. Don't give up just yet.