With a possible TikTok ban looming this January in the United States, many creators find themselves wondering which app might be next. Plenty of social media apps have come and gone over time, and from the outside, it might seem like TikTok could seamlessly go the way of Vine.
But TikTok disappearing from app stores and gradually no longer maintaining its function without updates won't just leave creators on a hunt for the next best content creation spot. It will also leave many people in the U.S. without a major -- if not their only -- source of income.
To be clear, most creators on TikTok typically don't make a livable income off the app alone. However, many, MANY more creators supplement their usual income -- which often isn't enough to pay the bills -- with what they make on TikTok. What you might refer to as a "side hustle" is many creators' only means of being able to afford to live without struggling financially.
Without TikTok -- or a creator fund supporting its creators -- many people will be losing major avenues of income. Losing their jobs, in a way. While creating TikTok videos may seem like an easy money-maker to non-creators, it's actually a time-consuming, draining daily grind like any other job. People are earning that money, and losing TikTok means they might lose that without deserving to.
When you see people online posting about mass layoffs, you probably feel a little sorry for them -- it's not their fault; they lost their job! I challenge you to offer that same sympathy to creators on TikTok if they can suddenly no longer make money using the app. Real people are behind these accounts, many of them trying to make money so they and their families don't have to worry about necessities. It's not "not a big deal." It's not funny. It could be devastating to hundreds of thousands of people.
If you were in that position, you would want someone to worry and care about you.