TikTok is filled with new dances, pranks and developments. Every publish is wherever from 15 seconds to 10 minutes – lengthy sufficient to get caught in your head however nonetheless quick sufficient to maintain you scrolling for extra.
Nevertheless, the app is extra than simply leisure. In reality, it’s a platform on which many individuals have discovered affirming communities brimming with inspiration, pleasure and heat. So, many TikTok customers have been in a position to carve out areas for themselves on the app, utilizing it to spend money on their very own neighborhood, meet individuals or discover inspiration for clothes, meals and artwork initiatives.
HuffPost requested TikTok customers concerning the communities they’ve been delighted to seek out on the app. Maybe one will resonate with you.
Feminine health followers are making their presence recognized on TikTok with quick bursts of knowledge in addition to life like exercise targets and actions. And, in some ways, creators on the app have pieced collectively another model of well being and wellness that’s made the outside – from sidewalks to mountain climbing trails – appear extra accessible and welcoming to all.
Suzanne Villegas, a gross sales supervisor in Diamond Bar, California, discovered a neighborhood of different “outdoorsy” individuals on TikTok that she steadily appears to for exercises and out of doors actions.
“I prefer to be energetic, and I like to hunt out new out of doors actions, like a brand new path,” Villegas says. “I get so excited to do these adventures alone – all my saved posts grow to be my ‘bucket listing’ of hikes that I wish to do, exercises I wish to strive or highway journeys I wish to go on. And I most likely wouldn’t have recognized about these items if it wasn’t for TikTok.”
Queer principle and affirmation
Although media continues to lack queer illustration, individuals on TikTok have managed to construct up the LGBTQ+ neighborhood there, spotlighting content material about queer intercourse, psychological well being help, media and trend. The app provides individuals entry to completely different queer communities and acts as an area for inventive freedom and the sharing of assets.
Jessica Harper, a singer-songwriter from Missouri, discovered affirmation in her queer identification by means of the net neighborhood on the #sapphic hashtag and past.
“The TikToks themselves are enjoyable, however seeing all people engaged within the feedback and ladies loving girls makes me really feel completely happy,” Harper says. “Generally, particularly being a feminine-presenting bisexual girl, I really feel like my identification is erased by others or that I’m not seen as queer or queer sufficient.”
Harper has queer mates in actual life however says that she additionally enjoys seeing different sapphic adults’ and households’ life on TikTok as a result of it helps her envision her personal life.
“It’s been so affirming to see the probabilities,” Harper says.
Aastha Jani, a scholar on the College of Southern California, additionally follows queer and nonbinary creators on the app, citing their movies as one of many issues that helped them determine their gender identification.
South Asian trend inspiration
TikTok can be a spot the place South Asian trend shines. Many South Asians really feel othered by mainstream media and have turned to TikTok to see their tradition being celebrated, moderately than appropriated, and represented precisely by means of clothes and niknaks.
Misha Hassan turns to queer South Asians’ ‘Get Prepared With Me’ movies, drawing inspiration from the ways in which individuals usually combine Western clothes with conventional items.
“I’ve been getting an increasing number of into self-expression by means of trend,” says Hassan, a latest graduate of USC. “Placing outfits collectively makes me really feel like I’ve extra possession over my presentation to the world, so seeing queer South Asian individuals do the identical and magnificence a bit terribly evokes me and helps me categorical my identities.”
Equally, Jani finds affirmation in watching queer plus-size peoples’ trend movies on TikTok.
“It’s a confidence booster to see individuals like me be highly effective of their our bodies,” Jani says. “I really feel assured, affirmed and reassured seeing them.”
“Lots of people in [South Asian diasporas] whitewash our tradition, which is disheartening,” they added. “It’s good to see individuals which are precisely representing our tradition and having the ability to respect it. It’s comforting.”
Vegetarian foodies from each tradition
TikTok can be an area for younger cooks who’re keen about their neighborhood’s meals to collect and share the recipes that remind them of residence or their upbringing.
For instance, Jani finds consolation in watching South Asian vegetarian cooking movies on the app. They appear to their feed for fast Indian eats, vegetarian snacks and even Punjabi meals.
“Even when I don’t have time to cook dinner the recipe, I really like to look at the movies as a result of they remind me of my household at residence,” Jani says. “These creators are exposing our tradition in such an effective way.”
Hassan additionally turns to TikTok for meals inspiration, watching creators combine “random” elements into mainstream meals or make one thing with a flavour profile she hasn’t tried earlier than. She additionally enjoys watching individuals make meals from their very own counties and share the tales and strategies behind them.
Hair and wonder inspo for all pores and skin tones and hair sorts
TikTok has additionally reworked right into a playground for hair and magnificence inspiration. The app’s quick movies make studying a brand new fashion simpler and faster.
Viviana Collymore, a latest graduate of Syracuse College, appreciates TikTok’s minute-long movies and sometimes opens her For You web page for curly hair inspiration moderately than watching a 20-minute tutorial some place else. She steadily goes on the app to seek out merchandise or hairstyles to check out.
Jani additionally makes use of TikTok for magnificence content material, particularly content material made by different South Asian individuals.
“After I was youthful, I adopted lots of YouTube make-up gurus, they usually have been all white. However on TikTok, I see so many different individuals with brown pores and skin tones recommending manufacturers and merchandise that work on their pores and skin,” Jani says. “The content material is area of interest and catered to me.”
