I could’ve said something trite like TikTok changed my life, but why use platitudes when I can use the bald-faced truth: TikTok makes me feel less lonely. My need for human connection in the land of lockdown in South Africa has been met by social media.
I originally joined TikTok because all of my students were obsessed with it. I assumed it would be all TikTok dances and teens, but being super nosy, I was nevertheless intrigued. As with my experience with Instagram, I imagined that I’d swamp myself in cat videos and live a contented life. I was right on the latter, but so very wrong on the former. Oh, how wrong I was! First, in maligning teenagers for enjoying something that brings them happiness (the complicated relationship between teens and social media, notwithstanding) and secondly, TikTok is so SO much more than dances.
TikTok is an unexpected treasure trove of humanity. There are so many creators sharing their joyful, sad, harrowing, triumphant journeys. It feels like both a blessing and privilege to be part of their journeys in this way.
Having been exposed to some of the ‘honesty’ of TikTok, Instagram now feels harmfully false. On TikTok, it’s not uncommon to see people without makeup talking about their less-than-perfect lives. There’s also something powerful about hearing people’s stories in their own words and with their own voices. It makes it feel like, contrary to what I thought possible, I am making a human connection. I feel less alone.
The TikTok algorithm is the best that I have experienced for helping me find the niches that I am interested in. It has helped me find some amazing creators, some I check on regularly, to make sure they’re still doing okay. Like @dub_frost and @tmelly231. They share their stories of illness and disability with heart-wrenching honesty. Special shout out to @crutches_and_spice for her searing critique of our ableist culture.
I’ve LOLed at @kendahllandreth’s skits of her phone calls with her mother and been fascinated by @tobejaniefrank’s journey as part of a throuple. @mikaela.pabon‘s tagline is DRESSED IN JOY. Need I say more?
@drnightatarif talks frankly about women’s health and @charlotteparler has convinced me to wear a daily SPF where countless magazine articles have failed to do so. @bootlegmegz excels at calling out bullshit where she finds it and @domesticblisters has a great series on digging yourself out of your depression house. I clean more now because she has taken the shame out of it. This is only a smattering of the creators that I’ve encountered – there are so many more!
I’ve also realized that the algorithm really is my friend. My feed has blossomed as a result of my efforts to expand globally and topically. I was amazed what I achieved with some targeted swiping, liking and following. TikTok has been wonderfully educational for me, not just in the sense of @scitimewithtracy explaining the COVID vaccines to me, but in the sense that I learn more about what it is to be human.
TikTok is both hard work and wonderfully escapist. Countless creators on my For You page (and in my following page) have made me think and helped me feel a little less isolated. For a short time (or, indeed a much longer time than I anticipated) I am immersed in the lives of others, one 60-second bite at a time. If you feel a little adrift, a bit alone and maybe even a little lost, TikTok might be your unexpected ally.
Do you use TikTok? Who do you follow and recommend?
I do use TikTok – I don’t make any but I like to watch them. I really love Ghosthoney, he’s so funny. Matt and Omar are really good too – Two gay guys in a relationship, and they do tiktoks together or solo.
I love YourKoreanDad, TheKoreanVegan & TheRealAlishaRai.
TheHistoryWizard! <3 he's awesome.
I’m resisting the call of TikTok, mostly because I’m just now moving from FB to IG. I just wanted to pipe in to say Hi. One of the kids I used to take care of is assigned to Ladybrand.
TikTok brings out the worst in me.
I started by watching @planetmoney – which I do recommend. But the algorithm hasn’t figured me out yet and I haven’t figured out how to influence it correctly – so it starts feeding me stuff that I scoff and sneer at and I start getting drawn in to being a horrible, nasty, judgmental human being. (obviously, it must appeal to part of me – otherwise I’d just turn it off. But I really don’t like that part of myself.)
So I try to just look at that, and a few museums that are on tiktok and then turn it off quickly before I start going down a bad path.
It’s good to know that there are good things on TikTok.
@Colleen for hilarious bits, @cairde_76 to live out your Riverdance boyfriend fantasies, @basementgang to see roommates truly love each other and thejr love to dance, the bloopers are the best, @yoleenadadong for realness, @peetmontzingo has a series taking the stigma out of dwarfism (and harassing his poor mom with a trombone!), @notoriouscree for his lessons on Native Americans, @kebi057 showing how he lives and thrives in the extreme cold of Tibet, @hayleygeorgiamorris has a series on anxiety brain, @ladytaphos cleans long-neglected headstones and grave markers — it’s very soothing, @laysieeeb for education on racism, @sheenamelwani loves to harass her husband for shits and giggles, @ alcequine_ for disability topics — she interacts with comments a lot and is very open and informative about her conditions.
This for very long, but this is exactly why I finally got on the tiktok wagon at the beginning of the pandemic!
I got on TikTok in September and whole-heartedly agree. Some of my favourites are @teaganreacts who does hilarious reaction videos to mostly cooking, but sometimes thirst traps, and @misspersephone who does vintage fashion and makeup tutorials.
I loooove TikTok. It has such a stigma that I don’t often admit to how much I watch it but I have gotten some others hooked. I tell them the algorithm figured me out quickly and I never see dancing teens. It’s more like extremely short tv shows that have been curated just for your interests. I see lots of cooking, history, board games, etymology, romance books, and DIY. And, of course, lots of generally funny videos.