003 - America Indeed Has A Problem.
Between the potential loss of TikTok and Trump being inaugurated on MLK Day, I’m crashing over here!
I’m still trying to process the fact that, on January 20th, America will inaugurate Donald J. Trump as the 47th president. Not only will Trump be the next president, but he’ll also be sworn into office on MLK Day... hmm. Am I hating? No (yes). But I’m still transparently grieving the loss of Vice President Kamala Harris, and I’m not getting over it anytime soon. The support VP Harris garnered during her campaign and what she accomplished in just 100 days was incredible. Bias aside (but let’s be real, I’m biased), I truly believed she deserved to win, and I will stand 10 toes down on that.
Maybe my hopes were TOO high. I mean, obviously, they were—because she lost. But I genuinely thought she would be the next president. I was so confident that I even bought a plane ticket for this weekend to D.C. to witness our FIRST Black woman president being sworn in on a Black holiday. With this being only my second time voting in a U.S. election, I was proud to cast my vote for someone I wholeheartedly supported. This might sound dramatic, but her loss made me feel like my vote didn’t even matter. I don’t know. Let me step off my soapbox because, at the end of the day, for the next four years, we’ll have Trump as our president. And while I’m not his biggest fan, I can’t lie—he’s hilarious, so I’ll at least have some comedic relief while dealing with the stress of this new administration.
Now that we just scratched the surface of politics, let’s dig even deeper and talk TikTok. With constant updates rolling in, it’s hard to keep up with everything, and I’m certain by the time this post goes live, something will have changed. As it stands right now, on Sunday, January 19, 2025, TikTok plans to voluntarily shut down in the U.S.—unless the Supreme Court delays the ban or someone swoops in to buy the app. People are scrambling for solutions, including the incoming president, Donald Trump. This is absolutely a political move because If Trump can “save” TikTok, he’ll be put on an even higher pedestal by many Americans
Beyond the politics of it all, let’s talk about the money. TikTok has assured its 7,000+ employees that their jobs will be secure regardless of the outcome, but what about the millions of creators who make a living off this app? I know so many creators—including myself—who rely on TikTok for income through TikTok Shop, the creator fund, brand deals, and more. Not just creators, but thousands of businesses thrive on this platform and can make a living off of this app If this ban happens, a lot of people’s pockets will be hurting… mine included. Many creators are already flocking to other platforms like Lemon8, Fanbase, and most famously, RedNote. Referred to as “China’s version of Instagram,” RedNote has gained hundreds of thousands of new users in just a few days. Despite the increase in popularity, I myself have not hopped on the “RedNote Train.” Primarily because most of the app is in Mandarin and I don’t know what I’m signing myself up for – I’m just being real. So until I hear/research more information about this app, I’ll stick to what I know.
Something else to think about with this potential ban is the massive impact it could have on the music industry. I have a lot of thoughts on how TikTok has both positively and negatively affected music, but honestly, that’s a WHOLE separate conversation. For now, I’ll just say this: IF this ban goes into effect, it’s going to shake things up for a lot of people, especially underground artists. Many of them rely on TikTok as a platform to get discovered by new audiences. As a huge music lover, I can’t tell you how many artists and songs I’ve discovered just from a quick snippet popping up on my For You Page. On the flip side, even more established artists won’t be able to lean on TikTok to help their songs “blow up,” which has become a huge factor in driving streams and helping projects chart.
If this ban happens, the ripple effects on creators, businesses, artists, and everyone in between will be interesting to see.
As we head into this long holiday weekend, I encourage you to do a few things:
Download all your TikTok videos so you can post them on other platforms and keep making money.
Check out Issa Rae’s new film, One of Them Days, in theaters now.
Catch up on issues 001 and 002 of AusThoughts if you haven’t already. Drop a comment and share them with someone.
Finally, pour one out for the homie… Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
As always, I appreciate you tuning in to AusThoughts. To keep up with all things Aus, follow me on all platforms @austunreid.
With love,
Austun
