TikTalk: Community and consistency through TikTok
Following a successful in-person fall semester, it felt almost guaranteed that the spring would be the same. But alas, the coronavirus had other plans, and here we are logging back onto Zoom University. Unfortunately, though we are entering the third year of this pandemic, “panoramic,” “pan-Demi Lovato,” — whatever you choose to call it — it doesn’t get any easier.
While being stuck inside, TikTok continues to be a happy place for many, including myself, and I hope to continue sharing the joy it brings me through what I write in this column. As we continue through these first weeks online together, we can use this time to reflect on what has brought us a community and consistency during these unpredictable years.
For me, trending TikToks and the algorithm of the “For You” page have served as not only a reminder that we aren’t the only ones going through this but also a joyous escape from the many downsides of the pandemic.
Take the little dance Caroline Polachek brought from her “So Hot You’re Hurting My Feelings” music video to TikTok. Yes, the melodic beats and incredible vocals will get stuck in your head or you’ll catch yourself doing Caroline’s dance, but it is much more than that.
We can all agree with Caroline when she says “I get a little lonely,” especially when we’re stuck in our rooms. Throughout these past two years, we have been feeling a lot of emotions, and loneliness is definitely at the top of that list.
From stay-at-home orders to quarantines to Zoom University, the lack of human interaction has been the most devastating. After all, we are social beings, but we are also college students who are missing out on some of the most formative years of our lives.
Besides the heartbreaking sides of the pandemic, there has also been some sunshine. When the world came to halt, we were able to focus on or find the things that made us happy. We were able to look inward and reflect on our mental health and our physical health. We were able to focus on self-love.
One of my favorite trends to come out on TikTok was the “I Am Woman” challenge. “I Am Woman” is a song by Emmy Meli that is a beautiful amalgamation of affirmations we all should tell ourselves on a daily basis. So often, it is extremely tough to look at ourselves in the mirror and find the right words, so a great alternative is to take a few minutes to listen to this song.
The videos under this sound on TikTok show the unique ways in which women interpret the lyrics. For instance, the lyrics talk about being unbeatable, powerful, feminine and masculine, and on TikTok, a pregnant woman displays just that by compiling clips of her pregnant belly, the moments after she gives birth and her power squatting.
Even though the process by which it is done seems unconventional, TikTok has provided a rather conventional sense of community during these times. It has brought joy and laughter in the ways that it always had prepandemic, and in the ways most people expect it to — through silly memes, dance trends or videos on the pop culture of the time.
For instance, I am glad I am not the only one who went through a phase of watching Disney’s “Encanto” multiple times during the last week of winter break. There have been a number of videos showing millennials and Gen Zers thinking the song “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” absolutely slaps.
And it’s true, Lin-Manuel Miranda put something in that song. I don’t know what his secret sauce is, but it makes the song so catchy and almost impossible to get out of your head.
Something else that I can’t get out of my head is how much I hate the Duo Two-Factor Authentication system. USC has made me want to skip Zoom classes because it’s so annoying having to use Duo Push to log onto Blackboard.
My hatred for Duo Push felt like a personal problem but turns out it’s not. Other people on TikTok hate Duo Push too. In one video, a student uses a sound of Michael Scott from “The Office” asking, “Is there no way we can get rid of him?”. In another, a user gives her impression of a two-factor authentication system and honestly, it had me on the floor laughing.
Here’s her impression (make sure you read it in a British accent):
“Wanted to sign in? Sorry luv, I don’t trust you. Gonna have to come over here first and prove it.”
A lot of TikTok users are college students just trying to get through the absolute chaos that the Omicron variant is causing during this semester. Others are people who are on a journey of self-love.
No matter who you are on the app, there is one thing that is true — there is something for everyone. No matter what you look like, no matter what your hobbies are and no matter what this pandemic has you feeling, there are a billion people on the app who can provide you with the community and consistency that we have all been missing.