Influences ban together
Local content-creators talk about the potential impact of losing TikTok
Owner of ChubbleGum Dan Richardson had some very difficult conversations with his employees about the future of the company on Sunday.
鈥淚 told them we鈥檙e going to do everything that we can to push through and persevere, but unfortunately there is a real likelihood that I don鈥檛 know how many sales we鈥檙e going to make and if I鈥檓 going to keep everybody employed,鈥� Richardson said.
He said his multi-million dollar business in Washington County is at risk because of a potential ban of the social media app TikTok, an online platform that allows its users to create and share videos.
Richardson, who fills between 5,000 to 6,0000 sticker orders a month, said about 92% of his business comes from TikTok. The social media site also allows customers to place orders or directs them to his website.
鈥淭his app changed my life,鈥� Richardson said. 鈥淚 started in February of 2020, just before the pandemic. Within that five years I have been able to employ friends, family and my wife.鈥�
TikTok was taken offline for a short time on Sunday, but President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday to keep the app operating for 75 days in the hopes that the platform is sold to an approved buyer.
Launched in 2016 by ByteDance, a Chinese technology group, the social media site has over 250 million American subscribers, according to the platform鈥檚 website.
Almost a year after the House voted to ban the app, Taylor Jenkins of Uniontown started using TikTok so he could combine his passion for horticulture with his love for God. He hopes to turn his artistic outlet into a career. He works full time as a salesman, and creates 10 videos a day to build his following.
If the app is banned, he questioned what that means for the future.
鈥淎re they going to just start taking a bunch of stuff away from us? It鈥檚 a bunch of old dudes who are out of touch that have made a decision for a whole new generation that they are not part of,鈥� Jenkins said.
Chantla Israil has been promoting make-up products as well as focusing on spiritual and physical health for the past five years.
The Fayette County woman鈥檚 videos have been shared by Nike, Ellen DeGeneres, Jessica Alba and Naomi Osaka. She was recently featured on Tamrons Hall鈥檚 nationally-syndicated talk show on a segment about women鈥檚 health.
Israil started using TikTok about a year ago and found the social media app has had a profound impact on a lot of people.
鈥淏ecause of this app, people have been able to get out of generational poverty, been able to pay their bills, purchase groceries and take care of their family,鈥� she said.
Like other social media platforms, TikTok creators can monetize their videos. According to their site, TikTok pays about $8 for every 1,000 views.
Destiny Mickens of Uniontown said she鈥檚 witnessed the power of TikTok first hand. In 2023, she shared information about the unsolved murder of her father Leon Mickens, who was murdered in Masontown 13 years ago. Her video received over 40,000 views, and a man has since been charged in her father鈥檚 death.
Like Jenkins, Mickens works a full-time job. She also works daily to build up her following on TikTok. If the app is banned, Mickens questioned whether she could get her followers to migrate to another online platform.
鈥淚t takes years to build these platforms, it just doesn鈥檛 take a day to build up 1,000 followers, sometimes it takes months,鈥� she said.