Early 2020: If you were like me, TikTok sounded like a playground for teens and those in their early 20’s. Catchy songs and dances were the last thing on my mind back then. I was more focused on virtual schooling our two children and the financial well-being of our family. Hard pass on the Savage Love. I needed sanity and clarity more than I needed to learn how to dance with my arms like my 12 year old does.
Then, for whatever reason mid-year, I downloaded it. Probably out of desperation for a change in scenery. I fully expected to hate it as much as that other social media platform with the ghost as its icon. I literally could not understand that one and deleted it in the same breath that I downloaded it with. Talk about feeling old.
Spoiler alert: I did not hate TikTok. I kind of instantly loved it.
Ok, sure it has the infamous viral dances here and there, but in between those, there are a lot of things to love about it.
Humor
One of the best things about TikTok are the funny videos. And some of them are actually pretty genius. The pet videos are so great. My husband and I have laid in bed more nights than I can tell you laughing at mean pet birds and dogs that are angry because they think their owners put them on a diet. The parenting “fails” are my favorite because let’s face it…we are all in the same sinking ship and watching someone suffer while parenting is identifiable.
Recipes
The baked feta pasta. The whipped cold brew coffee. The cake batter waffles. The pancake cereal. We are all pretty aware of the food hacks that TikTok has given us over the past year. Some I have tried and loved. Others I have tried and either hated or changed the recipe up some to better suit us. There is no doubt that there is an abundance of foodie TikToks. There is absolutely something for everyone to try out. Note to self: Get an air-fryer for cooking bacon.
Cleaning
So, cleaning Tik Tok is my favorite place to be on a Friday night. Please keep your judgement to yourself. I don’t know why but watching someone scrub their bathroom tile with a toothbrush is something I find oddly relaxing. Because of TikTok, I now know that oven cleaner, of all things, is the best thing for cleaning our glass stove top. Do not get me started on Tide + hot water trend. That is a cleaning miracle hack right there that I am passing on to my grandkids. Also, my house has never looked so good since watching cleaning TikTok.
True Crime
Raise your hand if you love true crime! I love true crime. I have discovered that TikTok is a great place to get tons of information about cases, new and cold. There have been a lot of new cases that I have found out about from TikTok that I never knew existed. It’s become my go-to for all things true crime related.
DIY Projects
If something can be done alone, there is a TikTok to watch. There are so many DIY tutorials on TikTok. I basically became a tie-dye queen last summer because of it. My mind runs with ideas wild when I watch someone wallpaper their house or organize their pantry. I want to do them all. My poor husband. He says we don’t need to turn our coat closet into a playhouse for the kids but I know he’s just joking.
While TikTok might have started for younger people, it is definitely not just for younger people. It has been a great distraction from this weirdness that has been this past year. If you haven’t tried it yet, grab a drink, download it, and relax. Soon you will be up at 2 am giggling to yourself and trying to not wake up your husband.
