Will Banning TikTok Break the Influencer Bubble?

How film critics get back into the good graces of PR if a key app is no more

Sunday will reveal whether the popular video social media platform TikTok will be banned in the United States, causing millions of Gen Zers to take to the app (and, in some cases, make actual real phone calls) to voice their displeasure. But it brings up a question that kicks off the first installment in 2025 of your favorite series and mine: Film Criticism is Fucked and We’re All Doomed! (What, you thought that was only a 2024 thing?)

I want to thank critic William Bibbiani for suggesting this topic because it’s one I hadn’t immediately thought of. So much of the influencer landscape has been colored by TikTokers, many who have cultivated a landscape of millions of followers that has led to brand deals and opportunities that play them alongside legitimate film critics and journalists. So if TikTok gets banned, does this mean film critics will get an advantage? If the TikTok numbers go into the world of yesteryear, will PR folks have to return to the devil they know?