2023 in TikTok Trends

Photo by Solen Feyissa on Unsplash

Very much like a thug on the run, I have a burner. My TikTok account is almost exclusively used for lurking. The platform’s algorithm is, in my view, the best on the market — feeding me not only what I want but feeding me what I didn’t know I wanted. The app’s vast data collection has prompted U.S. lawmakers to outright ban the app, whose parent company is the Chinese-based ByteDance. The federal momentum (if there was any) to prohibit the use of TikTok by American citizens has lost steam. Last month, a federal judge blocked the Montana TikTok ban before Jan. 1 — when the law is supposed to take effect. The result of these failed efforts has led to further entertainment or collective, giddy distraction. (There’s a certain shame that descends on one when the app tells you to take a break🧟‍♂️.) The use of the app continues to reflect a question that harkens back to the revolution: how much security/privacy are we willing to forgo while maintaining freedom? A topic for another day, no doubt. This article will instead show you what my For You Page (FYP) — my personalized TikTok feed — looked like throughout the past year. I’m not diving deep into data analysis or anything. I’m rather plunging into the curious stupidity that only social media videos can deliver. Shout out to the Notes app for keeping me on track — and to Know Your Meme for providing imagery and context. The following trends, CapCuts, and memes are in chronological…