PHOTO: ADOBE STOCK

With the fate of TikTok in legal limbo until early April after President Donald Trump ordered a pause on the enforcement of a ban on the platform, we wanted to know who are the most popular Pittsburghers on the app. And what will they do if the popular platform ends?

Here’s a sampling of our local TikTok stars:

Brooke Hyland

@brookehyland_1So my moms return is a lil easier♬ original sound – Brooke Hyland

The Pittsburgh native and content creator, Brooke Hyland, started posting on TikTok in 2020 and currently has 4.1 million followers. Hyland’s content focuses on lifestyle, whether it’s fashion, makeup, cooking or vlogging.

“I love giving my audience a genuine look into all aspects of life — whether it’s moments to relate to, learn and grow from, or laugh about together, my goal is to build a connection where they feel like they’re truly a part of my life,” she says. Hyland says she loves connecting with her viewers through lifestyle content, but also the personal moments she shares on her platform.

“One comment I hear often is that my authenticity makes my viewers feel as though they’re connecting with a friend via FaceTime, which means a lot to me,” Hyland says. If the TikTok ban goes into effect, Hyland will continue to create and share across her other platforms because she is so passionate about it. You can find her on Instagram (@brookehyland), YouTube (@brookehylandxx), and Snapchat (@bmhylandxoxo).

— TE

Ellen Kotzin

@pittsburghhills Hills in the burgh if you know… #pittsburgh #hills #driving #scary ♬ original sound – PITTSBURGHHILLS

Actor and content creator Ellen Kotzin of Greenfield has more than 65,800 followers on her TikTok page “Pittsburghhills.” In her videos, Kotzin reacts to steep streets like Beechview’s Canton Avenue (considered the nation’s steepest street), showcases Pittsburgh history and just has fun with her family. Her page’s popularity began during the pandemic when one day she decided to whip out her phone as she and her daughter were driving on Coleman Street in Greenfield. The adjacent street they were looking at was like a wall.

“It became viral, just that video because it was over the top, but my reaction was 100% [real],” Kotzin says.

Her viewers range from people who react to her content with nostalgia, remembering a time when they lived in town, to others who never knew that there were hills so steep in Pittsburgh.

For her day job, Kotzin is represented by Docherty Model and Talent Agency for acting and she works part time with the University of Pittsburgh’s medical school.

Kotzin isn’t too worried about the TikTok platform if the app just disappears because she’s diversified onto other platforms like Instagram.

“There should not be a monopoly of who owns what,” Kotzin says. “I just have fun with It. When the time comes — if it’s done — it’s done.

— CH

Harrison Szep

@harrisonszepWHAT A CITY♬ original sound – Harrison Szep

Although Harrison Szep is from England and has lived in Pittsburgh for a little more than three months, he was invited recently to ride the Pittsburgh Penguins Zamboni at his first hockey game because of his TikTok following. “This is so great,” commented Shannon on his posting about the Zamboni ride. “You bring so much positive light to our city.”

Szep, who lives in Seven Fields, began content creation on TikTok six months ago. He describes his content as lifestyle vlogging, which showcases his experiences in America. In addition to uploading postings four times a day, he works full time to recruit international athletes for college soccer.

If TikTok ends, he says that he’ll continue to live on.

“I make between $5,000 to $10,000 a month which is just a fraction of what I make with my business,” Szep says. “So it wouldn’t impact me a lot income-wise.”

However, he says that he’s not worried about the app disappearing; he thinks that the worst is behind us.

— CH

Arjun Manjunath

@arjunmanjunath_ Tous Les Jours in Pittsburgh #romanticizepittsburgh #pittsburgh #croissant #matcha #coffeeshop #college #pilates #CapCut ♬ luther – Kendrick Lamar & SZA

Arjun Manjunath, a business major at University of Pittsburgh, is a full-time content creator. His TikTok page “arjunmanjunath_” has surpassed 48,600 followers since he first began posting in 2019 during high school. Now, he’s a college senior and even interned for TikTok in New York.

“Social media is pretty much my full-time job, and it’s helped me pay for tuition and rent at this point,” Manjunath says.

Since a TikTok ban became a possibility, he’s been diversifying by also uploading the same video content on YouTube and Instagram. When the app went dark for 12 hours on Jan. 19 before President Donald Trump ordered a 75-day pause on the Supreme Court decision to ban the app, he took a break from content creation. This was partially because he uses Capcut, a TikTok-affiliated app to edit his videos.

“It’s helped me go after opportunities that I never would have been able to before that do help boost my resume and help a student go into the marketing field post-grad,” Manjunath says.

— CH

“Weird” Paul Petroskey

@weirdpaulp Here are the 1980s T-shrts from bands that I used to wear! What music shirts did you have? #80skid #80snostalgia #80smemories #genx #ilovethe80s ♬ original sound – Weird Paul

Pittsburgh native “Weird” Paul Petroskey just quit his job in December after 13 years to become a full-time content creator. Of the South Hills, he makes a living on TikTok as a live streamer entertainer with nostalgia-based content. In his streams, he sings popular songs of the era and shows items from his massive vintage collection. From his 739,800 followers, he gets all kinds of reactions, from people who say he’s a genius to others who thank him for enriching their lives with his content.

If TikTok is banned, he plans to continue creating content elsewhere although it won’t be the same. “It will be very difficult to be as successful,” Petroskey says. “I don’t have that same kind of following elsewhere and other platforms’ monetization options are limited or non-existent.”

He also says that TikTok, compared to other apps, is more fair with its monetization. If the app is banned, the number of creators who will bombard other apps will make it almost impossible for everyone to succeed elsewhere.

— CH

Joseph Long

@joelongtok♬ Don’t Tell Me How To Live – Live – Kid Rock

On TikTok, the comedy page Joelongtok has 458,900 followers and is where Joseph Long posts what he calls videos of his absurdist humor. Residing in Brookline, Long is a full-time content creator and has been on the app since 2021.

He’s been making silly videos since the early days of Youtube and MySpace. To his audience, his content usually warrants reactions from people who say it makes their day to those who are left in both shock and disgust.

Long says that his main source of income comes from booking his ads through the app, although he’s only monetized a few videos. If the app ends, he says that he’ll continue to keep plugging his website and grow both his Instagram and YouTube pages.

— CH

Brandon Heitzenrater 

@bhphotographypa PNC Park ⚾️ @Pittsburgh Pirates #bhphotographypa #PittsburghPhotographer #pittsburgh #pgh #412 ♬ original sound – Musicッ

Brandon Heitzenrater, of Pine, is the photographer behind BH Photographer PA on TikTok. He uploaded his first video in December 2020 and has been posting more actively in the last couple months. Sitting at a little over 9,000 followers, Heitzenrater shares pictures and videos he captures around the city.

“I capture these to highlight the true beauty of the city and share it with the world,” he says. During the day, Brandon works in sales as a specialty product manager, but he is passionate about photography. Since he started posting on TikTok, he has gained support from the Pittsburgh community, and he is thankful for the continuous support from his viewers. If the TikTok ban goes through, Heitzenrater plans to continue posting on his Instagram (@BH_Photography_PA) account where he has more than 42,000 followers.

“I am hoping the TikTok ban does not follow through because of the amazing community that is there,” he says.

— TE