The TikTok battle continues as the Supreme Court on Friday backed the law requiring the app to be sold or banned in the U.S.

I’ve been back and forth on how I feel about it.

I like TikTok, personally. I’ve learned a lot from the app, including book recommendations, artistic techniques, various recipes, workouts, and more. I also think it’s a reliable source of entertainment.

I’ve seen how others have become successful through their posts, whether building their small businesses or being discovered for a hidden talent. That’s one of the main reasons I’m sad to see it go: Some TikTok users created their brand on that site, and, within a day, it could all disappear.

People have worked hard, putting hours of work into their content, to build their following. They have found ways to make a living selling their work, engaging other users, and truly immersing themselves in their passions.

TikTok, like any social media platform, has allowed users to connect worldwide. It’s a way to share common interests. It’s a place to share and get information, entertainment, and more.

As is every other social media platform.

Though some have spent hours and hours on their TikTok accounts, and it’d be sad to see them have to rebuild, it is possible for them to do so again. And, despite connections being made on one app, who’s to say that they can’t connect on another, as there is no shortage of ways to reach people from around the globe.

For the past week, I’ve been staying off TikTok, preparing for the ban to happen. Instead, I’ve found myself scrolling through Instagram Reels and other social media sites that play very similar roles.

Yes, I prefer TikTok, but the other apps work just as well.

Being part of a younger generation, I’ve grown up seeing the effects of social media. I’ve seen how we all play into it, as well as its evolution.

The first social media platform was Six Degrees, according to several sources. It was released in 1997 and sold in 2000. With a few others in between, the next major outlet was MySpace, shortly followed by Facebook, one of the most popular sites to this day.

Soon after, Twitter came along, then Tumblr, Instagram, Snapchat, Vine, TikTok, etc.

Since 1997, there have been plenty of social media platforms, both successful and unsuccessful, and there is surely more to come. As we evolve, so do the internet and social media, especially as it continues to play such a large role in all of our lives.

So, though TikTok may be banned, another application will probably replace it, potentially becoming even more popular than TikTok ever was.

It happened with Vine after it shut down in 2016.

Vine was a video-sharing app on which each post was only six seconds long. It was very popular with my generation, and some of the videos/memes are still referenced to this day.

TikTok stepped up to be the next big video-sharing app when it launched in 2017.

Now, trending videos on TikTok have become topics of conversation.

I’m curious to see what will be the next big thing, assuming TikTok will be banned in the U.S.

It’s the evolution of social media and the internet, always changing. When one thing begins to die down or is bought out, another is sure to rise and take its place.

Perhaps new ideas will unfold and younger generations will make those applications popular, similar to the way my generation made Snapchat, TikTok, etc. popular.

Social media is so immense and popular, it’s not going anywhere any time soon.

And, if that is all being done with our safety in mind, to protect our information from TikTok’s parent company ByteDance, which is linked to the Chinese government, then, perhaps, the shutdown is for the best.

Only time will tell, I suppose.

Torianna Marasco can be reached at 989-358-5686 or tmarasco@TheAlpenaNews.com.