What am I doing during quarantine? Spring cleaning? Working on the plethora of projects I’ve put off for years? Catching up on some of the latest TV and movies? No. I’ve been on TikTok. In the past week, my phone tells me that I’ve spent a total of 1 day and 12 hours on TikTok! That’s about 5 hours a day by the way.
I like to think that I don’t fit many of the stereotypes about my generation. But that’s probably not true. Like I’m supposed to have a short attention span and honestly, maybe I do? Even Quibi is a bit too long for my taste. Which is also why I’m constantly on TikTok. I think it’s less of an attention span issue, and more of a commitment issue. Watching TikTok makes me feel like I can stop at anytime. Are you going to eat a huge cake or a whole bag of smarties? They might work out to the same number of calories, but eating smarties makes me believe I have a choice in the matter.
The other reason is that TikTok, especially now that people have more time to create, has some amazingly creative and funny videos. It’s bite-sized, it’s easy, and some of the things these creators can do is ridiculous. Sure, short shows that are professionally produced look great. But when some teenager in their bedroom manages to pull off dope special effects, it’s even more exciting.
The variety of content is incredible, from craft projects, to comedy, to dance tutorials, to educational videos (called EduTok), and so much more that can’t even be categorized. However, because TikTok has a strict one minute time limit for each video, people sometimes create content in series or parts. Others discover a style or a character and run with it.
If you’re currently on TikTok or you’re looking for more binge-worthy content, here are 10 TikTok series to get you started. To view additional videos, tap on the user’s profile and scroll.
The Quarantine Olympics
Remember Minute to Win It? This is way better. It’s a family of 5 trapped together in one house who have decided to compete each other in a series of challenges around the house. It’s inspo if you want something to do with your family, and they keep track of the score so you can root for your favourite family member. The Olympics are currently on Day 19 so there’s lots to catch up on.
The Ghosting Surveys
Don’t you wish you knew why the person you matched with stopped talking to you? All you have to do is ask. Jill created a Google Form survey and sent it to everyone who stopped talking to her. I don’t think I could ever do something like this, so I admire this girl’s cajones. The questions are direct and sometimes the responses are super brutal. 10/10 would watch again.
Dateline for Cheaters
This one has been going on for a while. Ericka provides a service to women who think their man isn’t loyal. She DMs them on Instagram and pretends to flirt with them to gauge their reaction. At this point, do you think guys know about her and say the right answer? And for the guys thinking that putting them through this “test” is unfair, if you aren’t cheating, what are you worried about?
Aunt Lisa’s Birthday
So far, there have only been three installments in this saga, but it’s hilarious and I love it. Connor Shephard got accidentally added to a family group chat dedicated to picking out a gift for “Aunt Lisa.” He’s chosen to pretend that he’s a high school girl named Ryan and is providing suggestions and stirring up drama. When quarantine is over, Ryan is going to have a lot of explaining to do at the family reunion.
Crazy Rich Asian Mom
Taking on the character of “your rich mom”, Chriselle Lim teaches us how to be fancy, even while sleeping. I chose this one because it’s actually really useful, but also because I feel like Lainey would be into this character. Don’t you want to know how to look rich in your sweats?
Military Wife Chronicles
This one popped up on my For You page and ended up consuming the better part of my day because I WAS HOOKED. Marissa tells the true story of how she discovered that her military husband was cheating on her. It’s sad of course, and there’s a lot of raw emotion, especially in later episodes. I think part of the reason she started the series was to process what was going on. But it’s cushioned by the fact that she seems to be doing better now, and viewers have been helping her with advice and resources. She kept ALL the receipts, and some of the things that happen are mind boggling. There’s even a season 2! Trigger warning: there’s detailed mention of domestic abuse so please watch with caution.
The Adventures of Rosa
Rosa is a character created by Adam Martinez that went viral since he first created her in January. She’s a Latina queen now quoted almost everywhere because “everybody just knows her, everybody loves her.” BuzzFeed did a piece on the character. Rosa is so relatable and funny that she’s become somewhat of an icon. Also, TikTok has a featured called “duet” where you can make response videos, leading to even more hilarious content from other creators.
5-Minute Craft Reacts
Have you ever seen the 5-minute craft videos? They’re usually a) not 5 minutes and b) never really useful, but they’re hilarious to watch. Did you ever see that video from Blossom claiming to make a diamond by covering hot coal with peanut butter? Anyway, this girl puts on a wobbly voice filter and provides opinions throughout the videos. It seems simple enough but every video cracks me up.
The Human Lie Detector
Watching this series feels like following a TV Show on Netflix. The premise is simple: What if you woke up one day and could tell if someone (including yourself) was lying. Except, the story takes an interesting turn and leads the main character on a journey to find answers. Only three parts have been released so far, so there’s still much more of this story to follow.
Hair Dresser Reacts
Everyone I know is doing something to their hair. Dying it. Cutting it. Shaving it. Now’s the time for a new look because if it goes poorly, no one will see it. Brad Mondo, a hair dresser from NYC, reacts to people cutting or dying their own hair. He’s actually really supportive and helpful (also hot), but there are times when it goes poorly. Watching people f-ck up their hair will never stop being entertaining.
