This Week in Social: Google’s AI, TikTok’s Reign, RIP Duo, and Pinterest’s Big Win

Honestly, it’s gotta be TikTok. So many people deleted the app when the ban was announced, and now it’s breaking records for the most downloads at the beginning of the year? That alone is a huge indicator of just how important that app is for users, which will hopefully trickle to the government as they consider the end of the ban extension in April. It gives advocates more opportunity and more data to bring to Congress to show just how important the app is as an economic generator and as an information distribution powerhouse.

And nobody wants to use Reels! Stop trying to make Reels happen! 😂

I’d say TikTok topping the app download charts will likely have the biggest impact. Yes, the others sound promising, but TikTok’s steady climb—even with all the regulatory scrutiny—signals it’s still pulling in users at a rate the competition should be jealous of. That means more eyeballs on the platform, which influences trends, creators, and of course, advertising. TikTok isn’t going anywhere, and it’s shaping the cultural conversation in a big way.

But here’s a question we don’t always address: as social media platforms keep chasing viral moments and hyper-engagement, what happens to the depth and nuance of our online interactions?

Agree with the above comments - Tiktok has created something truly unique in it’s algorithm and I think too many people love it for it to disappear without a fight.

Additionally, I thought the Duolingo dead owl was a miss - many commenters called that it was a stunt immediately, and since it’s a beloved mascot, I felt like they could have come up with something more celebratory for their announcement that still played into their unhinged brand voice. This one felt a little off to me. 

​@rosa.mejia-cruz that’s a great question. I do think a lot more social users are looking for those more meaningful, nuanced interactions, but it is unfortunate that the algorithms tend to lean heavily in favor of viral moments and negativity. But I have seen quite a few accounts/stories on TikTok that are the opposite! Not sure if you’ve been following the saga of Garbanzo the cat, but that’s definitely an example of how the TikTok community really comes together around important causes, even if they’re small and focused on one individual.

I feel the news includes news I expected (TikTok topping the app download charts), which I’d expect, even though, as has been noted, it’s not out of the woods in terms of regulatory scrutiny. Clearly, the TikTok app experience has a lot of pull, and if anything, I’d argue TikTok may be in an even stronger position now. That news is having an impact and will certainly to do so.
 

The  Pinterest news, though, surprised me a bit. I may have been sleeping on Pinterest, when I should have been paying closer attention to what they were accomplishing.

“2024 was a banner year for Pinterest, capped off by a milestone Q4 – achieving the company’s first billion-dollar revenue quarter and a record 553 million monthly active users, as we continue to drive profitable growth and free cash flow," said Bill Ready, CEO of Pinterest.”

That’s pretty impressive. This news will bring (more) awareness and focus to Pinterest and their offerings.  

My team is exploring a Mascot-themed campaign so the killing off of DuoLingo’s Owl Mascot is top of our discussions.

For social media, I think TikTok will have the biggest impact this week and it is going to continue for some time. My friends and co-workers were talking about the death of Duolingo so I think Duolingo will have the biggest impact in terms of brand marketing. 

I loved the way this video felt like a fun news update on what’s trending in the world of social media! The Duolingo drama completely took over my feeds—whether planned or not, the reach it gave their brand was next level!😂 And Pinterest’s resurgence has been fascinating to watch. A few years ago, I thought they were fading out, but their strategy to tap into user behaviour and marketing trends was so smart. Excited to see what they do next!

Definitely the TikTok stats! Though I think some part of the numbers is likely a reaction to it going dark for 24 hours. Now that it did go away and may again, people are getting in while they still can and even more curious about it. Interesting to see if these results have any impact on what will utimately happen legislatively with the platform. It definitely is influencing Meta and others to continue their efforts to overtake it, as we’re also hearing rumblings that Instagram is considering a standalone Reels app.

Welp, I just fell down the Garbanzo rabbit hole—what a sweet little bean! 😭 It’s amazing how supportive and positive the TikTok community can be sometimes. This is not the first time I’ve seen this type of reaction when it comes to animal welfare. 

I’m with you on this. They could’ve saved it for a fun April Fool’s gag instead. Although, I did enjoy Buffalo Wild Wing’s reply to the news. 😂

I would LOVE to say that I think it’s Duolingo’s fantastic marketing campaign, especially because they have such a track record of using shock factor to catch people’s attention. It was the perfect way to create a big “buzz” around their product that would take advantage of their already-established voice and the unique humor of their target audience. All while they made their product stand out from the rest of the AI clamor. 

However, I have to agree with many of the other comments and say that TikTok’s unseemly return to the U.S. and its app stores will have the biggest impact. Particularly for small business, political movements, the music industry, online shopping and more. 

😆 so did it! 🍗 

I would agree with the thoughts in the other posts around Duolingo trying that kind of marketing, which was a miss, and TikTok’s success, which was big news no matter how you look at it. I think this news was also worth a mention since Flashes is from Bluesky and will be or is a competitor to Instagram > Bluesky Photo App Flashes Launches on the App Store | PetaPixel

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I always love to hear Pinterest updates because I’ve argued it’s one of the most under-utilized or perhaps misunderstood platforms that has the potential to offer huge visibility and revenue. Pinterest ads, in particular, are so well integrated into the feed and platform (sometimes to users’ dismay) that it provides the opportunity for awareness and sales!