Never mind the ban, TikTok users are getting bored with the app anyway…

As the Senate begins debate on a forced sale or ban of TikTok, some stats are already pointing to a decline in growth and usage, writes Mike Masnick of Tech Dirt.

by Mike Masnick from Tech Dirt

We’ve been covering many stories about a potential TikTok ban, including how unconstitutional it clearly is, how pointless it clearly is, and how even those who back it don’t seem to have a good explanation of why, beyond some vague handwaving about “China.”

But, there’s one thing that hasn’t received nearly as much attention: people seem to be getting bored with TikTok.

After demolishing the competition from 2020 through the first half of 2022, TikTok’s DAU growth rate has collapsed. In the fourth quarter of 2023, the video service lagged Snapchat, YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook. Yes, you read that right: The ancient big blue app grew faster than TikTok.

This reminds me of when Congress was super focused on regulating Facebook, even after it was shedding users rapidly.

That’s not to say that if there is any real evidence (again, none of which has yet been shown) of dangers associated with TikTok they should be ignored. But, it is a reminder that the internet space remains incredibly dynamic, even as the media and politicians act as if what’s happening today will continue to be the way it is.

Social media sites come and go. They’re cool for kids until their parents get involved or until they go through the inevitable enshittification curve. There appear to be at least some signals that TikTok may have passed its prime and folks are starting to move on.

In short, the “problem” (if there is one) may solve itself through the simple fact that… TikTok might just not be all that cool anymore. Business Insider suggests that the original TikTok generation, who were teenagers when the app first became cool, may have since graduated and started having to live life and get a job and stuff, leaving less time for TikTok. Of course, that would ignore the fact that as younger kids age into being teens, they’re still likely to join. But, perhaps not at the same rate as before.

But, there is at least some evidence that people are just kinda TikTok’d out.

The young adults I spoke to have been on social media for a decade or more and didn’t question the impact it was having on them until recently. They started noticing that TikTok, in particular, got in the way of sleep, work, household chores and relationships. Some even say it has kept them from chasing their own creative dreams. They are now deleting the app in pursuit of more in-person experiences and tidier homes.

While that may be anecdotal, there is at least some data to back it up:

TikTok’s U.S. average monthly users between the ages of 18 and 24 declined by nearly 9% from 2022 to 2023, according to mobile analytics firm Data.ai.

In short, as it often does, Congress may be fighting (badly) the last battle, and not realizing that some of this stuff… takes care of itself.