As millions of people around the world were forced to quarantine indoors, TikTok emerged as a space where people could escape the mundane and “romanticise” their lives. TikTok’s approachability is also why the app blew up in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic. Unlike Instagram, where real-life celebrities also dominate feeds, everyday users on TikTok can become influencers simply by being themselves. TikTok - a social media app that launched in 2016 - has grown in popularity for its bite-sized clips and platform-specific trends. The What About Me effect kind of came out of receiving those types of comments, and then it just popped into my head.” ![]() ![]() Maybe you’re just not the target audience for it. “I’m like, what about it? Maybe this video is just not for you. “I’m sure other creators can relate to this, because we do get comments all the time like: ‘Well, what about my specific situation?’” she tells The Independent. As a content creator for the past three years, Lockwood said she became aware of the What About Me effect because she too saw it happening under her own videos. The What About Me effect soon took off, as content creators were finally able to put a name to the annoying and irritating responses they receive from unintentional social media trolls. “We make everything about ourselves and seek out accommodations and validation for everything.” “Instead of just saying: ‘Hey, if I don’t like beans maybe I shouldn’t watch this bean soup video,’” Lockwood said. Lockwood ranted to her 70,000 TikTok followers about her frustration when she came across the bean soup video, and the barrage of commenters asking for recipe substitutions. “The What About Me effect basically combines individualistic culture with being chronically online, and it is rampant on TikTok,” she said. The newly-dubbed What About Me effect, Lockwood explained, described the phenomenon of when a video or topic “doesn’t really pertain” to someone’s lifestyle or interests, but they somehow “find a way to make it about them”. “I wanna talk to you guys about something I’ve decided to call the What About Me effect,” Lockwood said in her video, which has been viewed more than four million times since it was posted on 14 September. Enough was enough for Lockwood, and she took to the platform to make her own video describing these remarks as “what about me?” comments. Another video for a strawberry milk recipe had someone else wondering if they could still drink the milk, even though they were allergic to strawberries. ![]() This wasn’t the first time Lockwood, who is a 26-year-old lifestyle coach and content creator living in New York and New Jersey, had seen comments like this before. “Can I substitute the beans with something else?” wrote one TikTok user. While the recipe was straightforward, and seemed to be catered to a very specific group of people, a number of comments under the video asked whether they could replace the beans in the bean soup video for another ingredient. The vegan recipe - which, you guessed it, contained beans - promised to be a healthy way for women to up their iron intake during menstruation. (TikTok Lockwood was scrolling on TikTok one morning when she came across a video for bean soup.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |