8 July 2025, 10:51 PM
(This post was last modified: 12 July 2025, 01:27 PM by avasinclair.)
Hey! Really glad you brought this up — I feel like a lot of us are noticing the same shift with TikTok lately.
Back in 2020–2022, it felt super fresh — the For You page always showed something unexpected, and it was exciting because almost anyone could go viral. But now in 2025, it does feel heavier on recycled trends, sponsorships, and reposts from other apps. I still scroll sometimes, but not nearly as much as before.
For creators, a few friends of mine who used to get great engagement say it’s gotten way harder to break through unless you’re already big or you post constantly. And yeah, it seems like they’re pushing paid promotion more too.
The privacy stuff definitely worries me too. Between talks of bans and data tracking, it makes me rethink how much personal content I’m comfortable uploading.
Also, for anyone curious about the “spicier” or more grown-up side of TikTok that doesn’t always stay up on the main app: there is something called TikTok 18. It’s basically an unofficial site where people check out trending 18+ or uncensored clips that sometimes get removed from regular TikTok. If you want to see what’s trending there, you can look at this alternative source:protiktok18.com. Some people use it just to catch viral content before it disappears.
And yeah, I’m also wondering if anyone’s had real success with TikTok Shop or monetization recently, or if it’s mostly hype.
Really curious what everyone else thinks: has TikTok peaked, or is it just evolving into something different?
Back in 2020–2022, it felt super fresh — the For You page always showed something unexpected, and it was exciting because almost anyone could go viral. But now in 2025, it does feel heavier on recycled trends, sponsorships, and reposts from other apps. I still scroll sometimes, but not nearly as much as before.
For creators, a few friends of mine who used to get great engagement say it’s gotten way harder to break through unless you’re already big or you post constantly. And yeah, it seems like they’re pushing paid promotion more too.
The privacy stuff definitely worries me too. Between talks of bans and data tracking, it makes me rethink how much personal content I’m comfortable uploading.
Also, for anyone curious about the “spicier” or more grown-up side of TikTok that doesn’t always stay up on the main app: there is something called TikTok 18. It’s basically an unofficial site where people check out trending 18+ or uncensored clips that sometimes get removed from regular TikTok. If you want to see what’s trending there, you can look at this alternative source:protiktok18.com. Some people use it just to catch viral content before it disappears.
And yeah, I’m also wondering if anyone’s had real success with TikTok Shop or monetization recently, or if it’s mostly hype.
Really curious what everyone else thinks: has TikTok peaked, or is it just evolving into something different?