TikTok is full of latest dances, pranks and developments. Every submit is anyplace from 15 seconds to 10 minutes — lengthy sufficient to get caught in your head however nonetheless brief sufficient to maintain you scrolling for extra.
Nonetheless, the app is extra than simply leisure. In actual fact, 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 put money into their very own group, meet individuals or discover inspiration for clothes, meals and artwork initiatives.
HuffPost requested TikTok customers concerning the communities they’ve been delighted to search out on the app. Maybe one will resonate with you.
‘Outdoorsy’ Health For Ladies
Feminine health followers are making their presence recognized on TikTok with brief 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 mountaineering trails — appear extra accessible and welcoming to all.
Suzanne Villegas, a gross sales supervisor in Diamond Bar, California, discovered a group of different “outdoorsy” individuals on TikTok that she steadily seems to for exercises and outside actions.
“I prefer to be lively, and I like to hunt out new outside actions, like a brand new path,” Villegas mentioned. “I get so excited to do these adventures by myself — all my saved posts grow to be my ‘bucket checklist’ of hikes that I wish to do, exercises I wish to strive or street journeys I wish to go on. And I in all probability wouldn’t have recognized about these items if it wasn’t for TikTok.”
Queer Concept And Affirmation
Although media continues to lack queer illustration, individuals on TikTok have managed to construct up the LGBTQ+ group there, spotlighting content material about queer intercourse, psychological well being help, media and vogue. The app offers individuals entry to completely different queer communities and acts as an area for artistic freedom and the sharing of assets.
Jessica Harper, a singer-songwriter from Missouri, discovered affirmation in her queer id via the web communityat the #sapphic hashtag and past.
“The TikToks themselves are enjoyable, however seeing everyone engaged within the feedback and ladies loving ladies makes me really feel pleased,” Harper mentioned. “Typically, particularly being a feminine-presenting bisexual lady, I really feel like my id is erased by others or that I’m not seen as queer or queer sufficient.”
Harper has queer pals in actual life however says that she additionally enjoys seeing different sapphic adults’ and households’ existence on TikTok as a result of it helps her envision her personal life.
“It’s been so affirming to see the chances,” Harper mentioned.
Aastha Jani, a pupil 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 work out their gender id.
South Asian Vogue Inspiration
TikTok can also be a spot the place South Asian vogue shines. Many South Asians really feel othered by mainstream media and have turned to TikTok to see their tradition being celebrated, quite than appropriated, and represented precisely via clothes and accessories.
Misha Hassan turns to queer South Asians’ “Get Prepared With Me” movies, drawing inspiration from the ways in which individuals typically combine Western clothes with conventional items.
“I've been getting increasingly more into self-expression via vogue,” mentioned 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 elegance a bit terribly evokes me and helps me categorical my identities.”
Equally, Jani finds affirmation in watching queer plus-size peoples’ vogue movies on TikTok.
“It’s a confidence booster to see individuals like me be highly effective of their our bodies,” Jani mentioned. “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 admire it. It’s comforting.”
Vegetarian Foodies From Each Tradition
TikTok can also be an area for younger cooks who're keen about their group’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 prepare dinner the recipe, I like to look at the movies as a result of they remind me of my household at residence,” Jani mentioned. “These creators are exposing our tradition in such an effective way.”
Hassan additionally turns to TikTok for meals inspiration, watching creators combine “random” components into mainstream meals or make one thing with a taste 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 Magnificence Inspiration For All Pores and skin Tones And Hair Sorts
TikTok has additionally remodeled right into a playground for hair and wonder inspiration. The app’s brief movies make studying a brand new type 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 quite than watching a 20-minute tutorial someplace else. She steadily goes on the app to search 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.
“Once I was youthful, I adopted numerous 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 mentioned. “The content material is area of interest and catered to me.”
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