Members of SEIU and Voces de la Frontera arrive at the Capitol Tuesday | Wisconsin Examiner photo
Online rumors warning of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) patrols around polling places in Milwaukee and Madison appear to be unfounded. The reports circulated on social media claiming that there would be “more than 5,000 ICE agents patrolling the areas” in the two cities, as voters went to the polls to cast ballots in the April 1 election for candidates running for Wisconsin Supreme Court, state superintendent, and referendum questions focusing on voter ID.
Anxieties about ICE activities have been heightened under the Trump Administration. Recent weeks have seen videos showing plain-clothes, masked ICE agents detaining people on the street. Some of the detainees had been arrested after participating in activist activities, such as protests calling for an end to the war in Gaza. Fears of ICE raids have increased in Milwaukee and Madison, as in other cities.
Spokespersons for Milwaukee and Madison city government told Wisconsin Examiner that they have not heard any reports, complaints, or notifications about ICE agents at polling places. A spokesperson for the ICE office in Milwaukee said, “due to our operational tempo and the increased interest in our agency, we are not able to research and respond to rumors or specifics of routine daily operations for ICE.”
Meanwhile, turnout in Milwaukee has been so high that local news outlets are reporting that polling sites across the city have run out of ballots. The city’s Election’s Commission is arranging for fresh ballots to be sent to polling stations. In Tuesday’s election Republican-backed Supreme Court candidate and former Wisconsin attorney general Brad Schimel is facing off against Dane County Judge Susan Crawford, who has the backing of state Democrats. In the state superintendent’s race, incumbent Jill Underly is facing challenger Brittany y Kinser. Wisconsinites will also get to decide whether the state’s constitution should be amended to codify a voter ID requirement.
Callie Goodwin, a creator from Columbia, South Carolina with nearly 250,000 followers, flew to Washington D.C. last week to advocate against the TikTok ban. (Photo courtesy Callie Goodwin)
As the fate of widely popular short-form video app TikTok hangs in the balance this week, creators, users and social media experts lament the cultural and economic losses U.S. users could experience if the app is banned this weekend.
“So many people are actually using it to make a living,” said Oliver Haimson, an assistant professor of information at the University of Michigan. “People are using it for entertainment, obviously, but also for community and social support and finding information about any number of things.”
The United States Supreme Court has been reviewing the arguments over a law President Joe Biden signed last April, which says that the app poses security concerns, because TikTok’s Chinese owner, ByteDance, is subject to Chinese national security laws that can compel companies to hand over users’ data at any time.
At the time of its signing, the law garnered wide bipartisan support. It said ByteDance must sell TikTok to a non-Chinese owner by Jan. 19, or it will be banned from app stores in the United States.
On Friday, U.S. Supreme Court justices questioned why they should intervene with the law, saying if divested, TikTok is free to pursue the best algorithm for its platform in the United States. TikTok’s lawyers argued that the law’s aim is to censor free speech, and that shutting it down in the U.S. would impact “one of the largest speech platforms in America,” for its roughly 170 million American users.
The creator economy
But for many creators on TikTok, the issue is not just one of free speech, but also one that affects their livelihood.
Callie Goodwin, a creator from Columbia, South Carolina, flew to Washington D.C. last week to advocate with other TikTokers for overturning the law. Goodwin works a full-time job in marketing and social media, but has also amassed nearly 250,000 followers across two TikTok accounts. She launched pre-stamped greeting card business, Sparks of Joy Co, in the thick of the pandemic in 2020. One TikTok post urging people to shop from her small business instead of big box stores blew up overnight.
“It completely changed the game for me and my business,” Goodwin said. “People really rallied around my business and really loved the fact that we were bringing back the art of handwritten cards, and especially in a season of loneliness.”
Goodwin had been posting about her small business on Meta’s platforms Facebook and Instagram, but it garnered little attention for her. When she started sharing about her products on TikTok and using its e-commerce feature TikTok Shop, her sales boomed. In one nine-day span last year, Sparks of Joy Co netted $30,000 in sales, and Goodwin hired 16 part-time employees. Currently, about 98% of her total sales come from TikTok Shop or from customers discovering her on the app.
For Goodwin, TikTok’s algorithm is what makes the platform special. The discoverability feature drives users toward content it thinks they will like, often pushing small businesses like hers to people who wouldn’t have discovered it otherwise.
TikTok also has a different structure for monetizing videos than other platforms, and its Creator Fund begins paying U.S. enrollees for eyes on their videos after they’ve reached 10,000 followers. Goodwin not only makes money from selling her products, but also on views on her videos for the small business account, and one she made to document her health journey, The Lose it Log.
Goodwin is one of an estimated 27 million creators in the U.S. that make some of their income from social media, according to a 2023 study. Of those, 44%, or around 11.6 million people, said they do social media as their full-time job.
Goodwin says she does post on other platforms, but she doesn’t “get paid a dime” on Meta accounts, even for videos that get millions of views. And brand partnerships, where companies pay creators to review or feature a product, are heavily influenced by followership and engagement numbers, which thrive on TikTok.
“And so you take away TikTok, and we’ve lost all ability to make money when it comes to the content we’re making, the views,” she said. “And some of my friends that do make their full income on TikTok have left their full-time jobs. They are bracing and prepping.”
On Tuesday, United States Senators Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and House Rep. Ro Khanna (CA-17) introduced the Extend the TikTok Deadline Act, which aims at delaying the Jan. 19 deadline. Markey said on the Senate floor Monday that the ban was “rushed through without sufficient consideration of the profound consequences it would have on the 170 million Americans who use the platform.”
“Today, TikTok is a space where users share critical resources during emergencies such as the Los Angeles wildfires, earn money to cover groceries and medical care, and build community in challenging times,” he said.
Online communities + vibe
That access to information and connection to those across the country and world is an invaluable part of TikTok, Haimson said. His research focuses on marginalized communities, especially those who identify as a part of the LGBTQ+ community.
The TikTok algorithm has allowed users to find queer TikTok creators who share about their life experiences and identities, and it often helps others learn more about themselves without ever meeting in person, Haimson said. That is how he defines community, he said.
Haimson has previously researched Chinese messaging, social media and payment app WeChat, which President Donald Trump proposed to ban in his first term. The ban was then dropped by President Biden in 2021.
“It’s an entire infrastructure that people use for payment, for work, for community, for support, all of these things. And I think we can kind of think about TikTok as being similar,” Haimson said.
Casey Fiesler, an associate professor in the University of Colorado Boulder’s College of Media, Communications and Information, makes educational TikTok content related to technology ethics and policy under the username ProfessorCasey. She aims to make these topics more accessible, and reach people beyond academia on topics like artificial intelligence. Fiesler said TikTok’s algorithm has led her to “a few really nice communities” of other creators, academics, scientists and educators.
“TikTok’s recommender system also has a real knack for pushing my content to people who are interested in it,” Fiesler said. “Which is great both because it gets to the right people and because it gets to less of the wrong people.”
In addition to doing a better job connecting her with creators and viewers she wants to know, her comment section is “a lot more pleasant” on TikTok than other places, she said. She does currently post on Instagram, and thinks she’ll move her content there if TikTok is no longer an option. But she’s wary of this week’s announced changes to Meta’s content rules, which include getting rid of its third-party fact checking program and allowing more kinds of free speech on topics “frequently subject to political debate.”
“It is hard to say how viable an option that platform will be moving forward,” she said.
TikTok’s arrival to the social landscape had “major impacts” to how platforms serve up users’ content, said Paige Knapp, Los Angeles-based founder and CEO of social media agency Kylee Social LLC. Even the smartest versions of previous social platforms were based around users actively following people or things that they liked, and showing them more of that content, Knapp said.
With TikTok, “for the very first time, a user could download the app, sign up and never follow an account, ever, and still have a highly curated ‘For You Page,’” Knapp said. “The average user was getting content from spaces that they may have not ventured previously, but the algorithm was saying, hey, based on your signals — the data signals you send us — we think you want to, you know, see these other things too.”
Knapp said TikTok has provided young people a way to tap into cultural moments and world events unlike ever before. While many millennials may have watched news coverage or read about the Arab Spring in the early 2010s, today’s young generations can watch world events, like the war in Gaza, playing out in real time on video.
“You sort of have a lens into other people’s worlds, whether that’s a creator, or an average person sharing their perspective on something, or a view into what’s happening in Palestine,” Knapp said. “And I think that’s a part of why there’s a big uproar about losing it for a number of reasons.”
What happens next?
There’s a chance that the Supreme Court could rule to not uphold the ban this week, or rule that there should be more time for ByteDance to consider divesting TikTok.
If the ban does go into effect on Jan 19., TikTok is planning to shut off its app for U.S. users that day, The Information reported Wednesday. A source told the outlet that users in the U.S. will encounter a pop-up message about the ban if they open the app.
Some users might try to look for work-arounds, like using a virtual private network, or VPN, set to a location outside the U.S. to continue using the app, Haimson said. But for those worried about security, these options may make it worse. If you can’t update your app or have accurate location settings, the security patches included in software updates won’t be applied to your account, and you may be vulnerable.
“But I don’t think people are going to give it up easily,” Haimson said.
Other social media sites may experience widespread “platform migration,” Fiesler said. People have been moving from one online platform to another for decades, she said — think about the rise and fall in popularity of MySpace or Tumblr in the early and mid-2000s.
Usually that migration is done by choice, Fiesler said, like users leaving X, formerly known as Twitter. The day after the 2024 election, X experienced the most deactivations since Elon Musk took ownership in 2022, and rival platform Bluesky reported 1 million new users the same week. But if TikTok is banned, there will probably be a period of users testing other apps for substitutions.
“What often happens instead is fragmentation, where people land on a lot of different platforms,” Fiesler said. “I think that is likely what would happen if TikTok users have to find a new home — they will find a lot of new homes.”
In the last few days, Chinese social media app Xiaohongshu, or RedNote, became the No. 1 downloaded free app in Apple’s U.S. app store, and Lemon8, which is also owned by ByteDance, also saw an increase of downloads. Meta’s Reels, or Youtube’s Shorts offer users a similar way to post short-form content, though TikTok users say its comment structure, discoverability and algorithm are quite different.
If TikTok shuts down in the U.S. on Sunday, it may take a while for people to fill the voids of entertainment, information, economic opportunity and connection left in TikTok’s wake, Knapp said. She said she feels no other app matches the welcoming feeling, camaraderie and tone of TikTok.
“It kind of reminds me of the ambience at a restaurant,” Knapp said. “You can recreate the menu, as it were, for Tiktok — the idea of a discoverable algorithm that you know serves recommended content. But if that ambiance is not right, then users are not going to spend a ton of time there.”
The potential loss of TikTok is one Knapp said she feels personally, and she knows her creator clients and the companies that spend money on sponsored content and brand partnerships will feel, too. The impact will certainly also be felt by regular, everyday people who found new hobbies, learned new skills and had their minds opened to ideas and concepts they wouldn’t have otherwise considered, Knapp said.
“[TikTok] gave rise to these really unique perspectives,” Knapp said. “And just a diverse roster of folks who ended up capturing voice and kind of being able to not just … entertain and things, but also really make an impact with the following that they cultivated.”
The school bus transportation industry has long grappled with a persistent challenge: A nationwide shortage of school bus drivers. Despite the critical role these professionals play in ensuring student safety and access to education, many school districts struggle to recruit and retain enough school bus drivers to meet demand not to mention other employees.
However, with the rise of social media platforms like TikTok, a new opportunity for outreach and recruitment has emerged. But this trend is not without its complications.
A New Era of Storytelling
Social media has transformed from a space for personal expression to a powerful marketing and engagement tool. TikTok, once synonymous with dance trends and lip-sync videos, is now a hub for creative content across industries. Businesses big and small use the platform for everything from showcasing products to building brands via influencers, other users who have amassed large followings. The school transportation industry is no exception.
School bus drivers have taken to TikTok to share their experiences, offering a glimpse into the daily life of a driver. Using hashtags like #schoolbusconversation, drivers showcase their passion for the job, hoping to inspire others to join the profession.
One standout influencer is Cor’Darius Jones, known by his handle Mr. Bus Driver. He has amassed over 61,000 followers to date on his TikTok channel by sharing engaging and informative content about school buses and driving them. (He is also on Instagram and Facebook.)
As an employee of Escambia County Schools, located on Florida’s panhandle and serving the Pensacola area, Jones has not only captured the hearts of viewers but also caught the attention of industry leaders, including IC Bus, which sponsors his content.
Jones’ videos extend beyond his daily routes. He attends trade shows, engages with industry professionals, and promotes the role of school bus drivers as an essential part of the education system. Notably, Jones will be speaking at the STN EXPO East near Charlotte, North Carolina, in March. He will join a panel discussion that will share insights on using social media as a recruitment and advocacy tool for the school transportation industry.
Jones said Escambia County Schools is aware of his social media work and has been supportive of the content.
Cor’Darius “Mr. Bus Driver” Jones takes his social media viewers on a tour of his school bus.
“A lot of times my higher-ups give me ideas for a funny video to create,” he explained. “At first, I didn’t know how my district would take it, being that I was filming on the bus and making jokes about the job while still trying to make an informative message, but they started to follow and absolutely love the content. They look forward to every video I create.”
Jones said his journey into social media began during his second year as a school bus driver.
“I started the page going into my second year of driving and was giving everyone an inside look at what it’s like being a bus driver for different grade levels,” he recalled. “The post went viral on [Facebook], gaining over 500,000 views within the first week. People — parents, students, bus drivers, teachers, school staff, a ton of people — would message me to make more videos, and that’s what led to creating the Mr. Bus Driver page. I would just post day-to-day life. The most relatable part is that it’s very much true and has happened to me and a ton of other drivers.”
His partnership with IC Bus, the manufacturer of the vehicle he drives everyday, and collaboration with school district officials exemplifies how social media can be leveraged to address driver shortages by highlighting the job’s rewarding aspects, as well as the universal experiences that resonate with the broader community.
“When we came across Cor’Darius Jones, more widely known as Mr. Bus Driver, it was clear he was a champion of student safety and the driver community in his own right,” commented Christy Zukowski, the senior marketing manager for IC Bus. “Those who have seen Mr. Bus Driver’s videos on their social feeds know that his passion for his career as a driver is contagious. With his unique ability to educate, entertain and connect while spreading awareness of the importance of safety best practices, Mr. Bus Driver is an empowering voice in the industry and an admirable example of the dedicated drivers who keep us moving forward.”
IC Bus sponsors Cor’Darius “Mr. Bus Driver” Jones and brings him to industry trade shows, where he interviews student transporters on a podcast.
Navigating the Challenges
While influencers like Jones have received district support and industry backing, not all school bus drivers receive the same level of oversight — or approval — for their social media activities. The integration of government property and social media monetization raises questions about ethics and compliance.
A transportation director from a school district in the western U.S. speaking anonymously to School Transportation News expressed concern over school bus drivers creating TikTok videos without the district’s knowledge.
Like many government agencies, the director noted, transportation staff does not have access to TikTok. “So, this was not something we were monitoring,” the director added. “There are issues with broadcasting on social media in uniform, using district equipment, acting as a spokesperson without authorization, and generating revenue while on paid status.”
The director revealed that one school bus driver had been filming TikTok videos while wearing a uniform with the school district logo visible despite an attempt to obscure it. This implied, the director explained, that the driver in question was officially representing the district without having prior permission to film content. Upon discovering the videos, transportation department management addressed the issue directly with the driver as well as others, instructing them to take down any content that might appear to represent the district.
“It’s important to ensure that employees don’t unintentionally present themselves as spokespersons for the district without authorization,” the director emphasized.
The challenges outlined in this scenario highlight a key tension: While these videos can inspire and educate, they also risk crossing professional and legal boundaries. School buses are government property, and filming content for personal or financial gain without explicit consent could violate district policies or government regulations. Moreover, the perception of using public resources for private profit can risk the reputations of school bus drivers and their school district or bus company employers. Clear communication and well-defined policies are essential to navigating these challenges.
STN reviewed dozens of TikTok, Instagram and Facebook videos posted by school bus drivers. Many of them made attempts, not all successful, to obstruct or blur any identifying district names or logos on uniforms. Videos included school bus drivers talking about their jobs and experiences while seated behind the wheel, performing pre-trip inspections, and even driving the vehicle with students on board. Any students were blurred out, and at least one post appeared to use interior school bus camera video footage.
Weighing the Pros and Cons
Social media’s potential to promote the profession and recruit new drivers is undeniable. Videos showcasing the camaraderie, dedication and unique aspects of the job can counter misconceptions and attract individuals who otherwise might not have considered the role. Drivers like Cor’Darius “Mr. Bus Driver” Jones demonstrate that with proper support and guidance, social media can be a valuable tool for advocacy and outreach.
However, districts must address the potential pitfalls. Without clear policies and communication, drivers may unintentionally breach regulations or face disciplinary actions. Establishing guidelines around social media use, including seeking prior approval for content involving district equipment, could help strike a balance between creativity and compliance.
However, the future of TikTok, one of the most influential platforms for creators and businesses alike, remains uncertain. The app has faced ongoing legal battles and scrutiny, with federal and state governments questioning its data privacy practices and connections to its parent company, ByteDance, in China. These concerns have led to restrictions on TikTok’s use on government devices and recurring threats of a nationwide ban.
President-elect Donald Trump will take office a day after a Biden administration ban is set to take effect. While Trump previously sought to ban the app due to national security concerns, he now said he acknowledges the platform’s significance as a cultural and economic influencer. He has suggested the possibility of maintaining TikTok under stricter regulations to ensure compliance with U.S. laws and protect user data, offering a lifeline to a platform that continues to thrive amid legal and political uncertainty.
This past week, the U.S. Supreme Court said it will take up the case on Jan. 10 and will not block TikTok while it considers the issue.
Regardless, district leaders and transportation directors generally lack access to TikTok today, making it difficult to monitor or even be aware of the content their drivers are creating. This limitation further complicates oversight and highlights the importance of proactive communication between drivers and their supervisors.
But without access to TikTok and other social media services, district leaders may miss opportunities to guide or support school bus drivers who are using the platform to share their experiences. Additionally, the inability to monitor content means districts are often unaware of potential compliance issues, such as filming during work hours, using district equipment, or presenting themselves as spokespersons without authorization. Addressing these gaps requires clear policies and training, ensuring drivers understand the boundaries of their creative freedom while still leveraging social media to inspire and educate.
To fully harness the benefits of social media while mitigating risks, collaboration between drivers, districts, and industry leaders is essential. Districts should consider the following steps:
Develop Clear Policies: Provide written guidelines on social media use, including what is permissible when using district property or uniforms.
Training and Communication: Offer training sessions on responsible social media practices, ensuring drivers understand the potential legal and ethical implications.
Encourage Collaboration: Facilitate partnerships between drivers and district officials to align content creation with district goals and recruitment efforts.
The passion and creativity of school bus drivers have the potential to reshape perceptions of the profession and address critical driver shortages. By establishing clear boundaries and fostering open communication, districts can support drivers in sharing their stories while maintaining professionalism and integrity. Social media is a powerful tool, when used responsibly or not. It can bring much-needed attention to the essential work of school bus drivers and inspire the next generation to join their ranks.
Despite the controversies, TikTok and other social media sites remain powerful tools for promoting small and large businesses and enabling content creators to connect with audiences worldwide. For school bus drivers and other professionals, it has provided a unique avenue to inspire change and attract talent to under-appreciated roles. The uncertainty surrounding TikTok’s future highlights the need for districts to remain vigilant, crafting adaptable policies to maximize its benefits while navigating potential risks in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.
In addition to being a frequent STN contributor, S.Z. Estavillo is a social media professional and consultant with over 90,000 followers across her various channels.
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