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Alex Perlman put an end to his dreams of a career as a stand-up comedian nearly a decade ago, moving from the stage to office cubicles and taking a job in customer service.
He then started posting random jokes and comments about pop culture and politics on TikTok. After his follower count rose to just over his 2.5 million, he quit his 9-to-5 job and recently booked his first national tour.
Perlman said the House of Representatives passed a bipartisan bill Wednesday that would lead to a nationwide ban on the popular video app unless China-based owner ByteDance sells its stake. I’m alone. . The bill still needs to pass the Senate, but its prospects are uncertain.
Content creators argue that the ban will hurt countless people and businesses that rely on TikTok for a significant portion of their income, while arguing that TikTok has become a platform for unparalleled dialogue and community. There is.
Perlman, who lives in a Philadelphia suburb, said TikTok has changed her life, allowing her to pursue her dreams, raise her family and stay home for the first three months of her newborn son’s life. His customer service job only provided parental leave, which was equivalent to three weeks of vacation, with two weeks of pay.
“It was so shocking that I never take this app for granted,” said Perlman, 39. “In fact, TikTok has been the driving force behind American social media for the past four years. If TikTok were to disappear tomorrow, something else would step into its place. Congress has no way of knowing whether it will be better or worse.” Nor.”
Launched in 2016, TikTok has skyrocketed in popularity, growing faster than Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook. The push to remove the app from Chinese authorities comes amid concerns about the security of user data, the possibility of suppression of content unfavorable to the Chinese government, and concerns from lawmakers about the platform’s potential to promote pro-Beijing propaganda. This comes in response to concerns from law enforcement and intelligence agencies. TikTok denies that.
So far, the US government has provided no evidence that TikTok has shared US user data with Chinese authorities.
The move comes as digital marketing has grown significantly due to the pandemic, with people stuck at home consuming and creating content at unprecedented levels.
Jensen Savannah, 29, from Charlotte, started posting photos of his travels around the Carolinas on TikTok during the pandemic. Now a full-time influencer, her income has tripled since quitting her mail order job.
“‘Social media influencers’ are becoming seen as a new form of print, radio and TV advertising,” she says. “It will bring much greater benefits than traditional marketing.”
Some creators describe this as a kind of digital equalizer, giving people of color and other marginalized groups a platform to gain opportunity and exposure.
“I’ve always had Twitter, Facebook, Instagram. But TikTok is the first place where if you want to find people who look like you and express yourself in some way, you can find it.” ,” said Joshua Dylen, a 30-year-old black content creator who lives in Auburn. Alabama. Dairen creates videos about the state’s ghost stories, urban legends, and history.
As a child, he loved researching all things paranormal, but had never seen much black representation in the field. His exposure on TikTok led to work writing freelance work and contributing to documentaries about paranormal phenomena and unsolved mysteries. The app also gave Dairen the flexibility and confidence to open his own coffee shop, where fans of his work visit at least once a day. To do.
He believes TikTok’s ban has set a “dangerous precedent about how much power the highest levels of government can wield.”
Some say the app is an economic and social safety net.
Chris Bautista, a food truck owner in Los Angeles that caters to TV and movie sets, started using TikTok during the pandemic to connect with members of the LGBTQ+ community and show support for those in difficult situations. Ta.
Bautista, 37, grew up in a conservative Christian community in the Los Angeles suburbs and didn’t come out until his late 20s. In his youth, he suffered from mental health and contemplated suicide. He credits his teenage years with showing that people like him can go to dark places and come out the other side as “well-adjusted, confident people.” I wanted to create a platform that I could use.
“I feel every inch of TikTok that I’m involved in is very important and profound,” Bautista said, adding that it would be “heartbreaking” if the app was banned. .
Bautista didn’t start posting with the intention of monetizing the experience, but revenue from projects related to the app came at the right time. Without the additional income he earned through TikTok during the pandemic, the Hollywood strike would have ensued. His business would have gone out of business that year.
Concerns have been raised about the app’s addictive nature since its inception, especially for young viewers whose minds are still developing. Marcus Bridgewater, a former private school teacher and administrator who runs his own business and posts TikTok gardening videos, wants Congress to focus on these issues, not whether the app is Chinese-owned. I want it.
“Social media is a powerful tool,” said Bridgewater, who lives in Spring, Texas. “And a powerful tool is just that: social media can help us transcend ourselves, but it can also completely cut us off in that transcendence.” Those we love From us. ”
Perlman said he has long feared that politicians would come after TikTok. He likened his experience upon learning about the House vote to finally receiving word that a sick loved one had passed away.
“What concerns me is that for many Americans, I feel like TikTok and social media in general have become a release valve and a default complaint box,” he said. It’s like trying to ban the complaint box instead of addressing complaints. ”
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