Editor's note: This story is part of an ongoing series for Arts Access examining the health and well-being of our North Texas arts economy.
In less than a month on April 5, President Donald Trump’s executive order pausing the ban of TikTok is set to expire.
Earlier this year, TikTok was banned for less than a day. Then, the ban was put on hold. Now, it’s unclear what will happen next.
For many influencers, that tug of war over the banning of TikTok has led to confusion and a host of other emotions as they try to understand what it could mean for their livelihoods.
Cole Newman, who has 2.6 million followers on TikTok, posts videos of him making pendulum paintings in his Richardson studio. He says he’s “over it” in a lot of ways because he sees TikTok as a pawn being used by politicians.
“It's just used as a political piece like, ‘Oh, I'm going to be the one to ban it, or I unbanned it, so you should like me more,’ ” he said.
From relief to worry, North Texas influencers share how they’re feeling about a potential TikTok ban:
Cole Newman, 2.6 million followers
@colescolor
After years of public discussion about the possible banning of TikTok, Newman said he’s used to the idea.
“If it gets banned, I just move on to another app. That's kind of where everybody's at right now,” he said.
But at the same time, Newman does have some nostalgia about TikTok and doesn’t want to see it go. His first pendulum painting post was on TikTok, and it’s where he first grew a following.
“Literally, my career would not have happened without TikTok,” he said. “I'd probably be in some sales job, be a finance bro or something if it wasn't for TikTok.”
Newman said it’s unfortunate he won’t be able to look back at some of his memories if TikTok is banned. Still, he’s made backup plans. After all, the social platform makes up about 20% of his income as an influencer.
He’ll continue posting to Facebook, YouTube and Instagram. And he’s already started experimenting with other platforms like RedNote, a Chinese social networking platform, and is considering expanding to Triller, Pinterest and Tumblr.
@colescolor Looks like a portal!
♬ original sound - Cole Newman
Alissa Nguyen, 3.1 million followers
You’ve probably seen Alissa Nguyen making her viral sushi bake recipe with her kids playing in the background. Nguyen, who lives in Northlake with her family, said the uncertainty about the TikTok ban makes her nervous.
“It’s kind of scary considering a portion of my income does come from TikTok. I'm just waiting to see what happens next,” she said.
Nguyen said she’s also kind of sad about the potential ban because she enjoys scrolling through the platform just as much as the rest of us.
“I get a lot of my news from TikTok. I watch my entertainment. When I'm winding down, I'm on TikTok, I'm scrolling,” she said.
There are a lot of emotions about what will happen, but Nguyen said she knows she’ll adapt.
“I do see myself going a little bit harder on the existing platforms that I'm currently using right now,” she said.
Those platforms include YouTube and Instagram. She’s also added the platform LTK, which links users to products from creators’ videos or posts.
@alissanguyen_ Sunday mornings be like….
♬ original sound - Alissa Nguyen
Ian Fujimoto, 1.1 million followers
A special-education teacher by day and food influencer by night, Ian Fujimoto shares accessible recipes from his home in North Texas.
Fujimoto said he plans to transition full time into being an influencer this year. Even with this big life change on the horizon, the possibility of a TikTok ban doesn’t scare him; he feels quite the opposite.
“There was part of me that was a little bit relieved with the idea of one less platform to worry about because it's hard to justify not doing it, right, if it's there,” he said.
He’s happy to focus his energy on YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat and Substack where he shares his recipes.
While he does feel a little sad for the community that’s grown on TikTok, Fujimoto believes they’ll find their way to connect with their favorite influencers on other platforms.
“Whether it's a week, a month, a year, whatever it is, they’ll come back around and hopefully see the content again and stay interested in it,” he said.
@iankyo This one’s for my meat lovers 🥩🍤🍗🥓 #cooking #recipe #meatlovers #friedrice #easyrecipe #quickrecipes #kitchenhacks #lunchideas #dinnerideas ♬ Storytelling - Adriel
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