By Jayni Nielsen, Pace University

The 2015 hit song brought the artist an unforeseen amount of attention after it went viral as part of a TikTok trend focused on the romanticization of life.

By Jenna Nelson, Scripps College

The Bermudan TikToker’s recreations of historical recipes artfully connect past events to culinary trends of these past eras.

By Ariana Quijano, Georgia State University

Viral TikTok user Ben Tarrolly is one of the many social media accounts that recycle content from other creators without giving them their due credit.

By Natalie Gabor, Indiana University-Bloomington

Gen Zers and millennials are more likely to be affected by issues related to their stomach and intestines. What is the cause?

By Arianna Taylor, University of Rochester

Sparking discussions about authors, tropes and book drama, PeaceLoveBooksxo’s livestream connects and provides insight into the book community and those who participate in it.

By Sarah Esquivel, University of Texas at San Antonio

With social media encouraging a culture of one-upping competitors, broadcasted fights may be the next step to achieving internet fame.

By Beth Jordan, Aquinas College

While popular in their home country of Canada, they have long been a niche band in other parts of the world. Thanks to the popular social media platform, they are finding success in the U.S.

By Benjamin Chen, Columbia University

Social media influencers and members of the public alike are benefitting from the way in which this Beijing-based app allows for dissipating and receiving information.

By Alexa Katherine Will, University of Pittsburgh

Cooking, baking and drink-making have all picked up steam during the pandemic, so take a look at these three striking Instagram chefs for inspiration in the kitchen!

By Kieran Benson, Luther College

Chloe Noone’s feature on the remix of the song ‘parents’ showcases how crucial TikTok is for the careers of aspiring artists.

By Mai Khou Vang, Michigan State University

With the recent rise of WitchTok, these misleading videos have become commonplace on many users’ For You pages — here’s how to spot the real deal.

By Alexandra Cortez, Trinity University

Publishers are paying users in the book community on the app, also known as BookTok, to promote their books, leaving some people with mixed feelings.

By Sarah Esquivel, University of Texas at San Antonio

Videos of the ‘Mission Impossible’ actor recently went viral on the video-sharing platform. The twist? It wasn’t him.

By Emma Watts, University of Arizona

Brighten up your day with the adorable stuffed reptile that’s stomping all over social media.

By Anastasiya Cernei, Missouri State University

By Katherine Bry, Washington University

Curating music allows people to preserve moments in time, capture specific moods and pass experiences onto other listeners through songs.

By Daniel Reed

Jumpstart your account with some outside help.

By Aimi Wen, Duke University

We must hold everyone who incited or participated in the Capitol riots accountable, to protect the future of our system of government.

By Katherine Bry, Washington University

As 2021 gets started, it is important to take a moment to reflect on some of last year’s biggest cultural moments.

By Emily Jewett, University of San Diego

If the singer told you to dye your hair or get married, would you? Her replies have people completing tasks they would normally avoid.

By Eva McCarthy Mínguez, Stony Brook University

More than 40 years after the song’s release, it has climbed up the top 100 once again. The reason? A heartwarming TikTok.

By Sarah Gudenau, Oakland University

Are we actually witnessing this controversial social media influencer’s changed self, and will she have an internet redemption?

By Emma Watts, University of Arizona

TikTok users are bringing back another relic from the past — this time they’re turning an old Pixar movie into a creative music trend.

By Haven Worley, University of Rochester

The fashion trend and subculture is rekindling an eagerness to learn after going viral on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube.

By Emma Watts, University of Arizona

By Tanisha Bhat, Boston University

Over 400 content creators on the platform are collaborating to get out the vote for the upcoming election.

By Sarah Gudenau, Oakland University

She’s the daughter of Kellyanne Conway, former counselor to President Trump, and the teenager’s familial connection to the White House has caused the public to fixate on her outspoken TikToks.

By Brian Xi, University of California, Berkeley

Originally known for her impersonation of the ultra-wealthy in college admissions scandals, the creator has brought her satire and witty humor to TikTok, rising even further in popularity.

By Aubrey Doerr, Chapman University

The Scandanavian bedroom pop artist blew away fans with her 2018 release ‘i wanna be your girlfriend.’ Now popping up all over TikTok, she’s poised to dominate.

By Madelyn Haasken, Bemidji State University

These influencers create content that can boost your self-esteem — a breath of fresh air in a frequently toxic online culture.

By Emily Jewett, University of San Diego

TikTokers are taking the “Harry Potter” antagonist’s character arc into their own hands and creating escapist POVs.

By Luke Gair, Sewanee: The University of the South

Follower counts and likes once reigned as the indicator of success on social media platforms. Once free market greed trickled into the equation, influencers then relied on money to define their fame. Now, many are moving into huge homes, en masse, to capitalize on this development.

By Srishti Tyagi, Cornell University

Paper lovers have turned to the video-sharing app to forge their own peaceful corner on a platform full of chaos.

By Sarah Gudenau, Oakland University

The phrase is popular on TikTok and it’s a good concept — here’s why you should start romanticizing your own life.

By Juliana Fujii, Biola University

When creating content, some stars see disobeying government mandates as a small price to pay, proving not all influencers should be considered role models.

By Katherine Brand, University of Michigan

The new TikTok trend has students documenting their daily lives while quarantined, but what bigger problems with reopening plans are revealed?

By Danielle Kuzel, Florida State University

Service industry workers on the video-sharing platforms are letting users know which stars are kind and which ones are entitled.

By Emily Jewett, University of San Diego

‘TikTok’s worst dating coach’ offers a weak rebuttal to valid criticism of his misogynist views, demonstrating YouTube’s misunderstanding of what actually constitutes bullying.

By Brian Xi, University of California, Berkeley

Many men are afraid showing more skin will cause their masculinity to take a hit, but short shorts are sending toxic masculinity out the window.

By Ailun Shi, UC Berkeley

The plan will rid Americans of apps, telecommunications carriers and cloud-based services connected to Chinese companies.

By Hannah Reynoso, University of Iowa

Training your pup to converse with you via non-barking communication isn’t as impossible as it may seem.

By Imani Benberry, Columbia University

The use of African American Vernacular English has become increasingly popular on social media, but ultimately, it exploits Black expression.

By Elias Khoury, University of Michigan

TikTok has been downloaded across the world over 2 billion times, but the app still isn’t as important to our daily lives as the hype would have us believe.

By Audrey Martin, Boston University

Playlists are king on the streaming platform. These five users take their playlist curation to the next level.

By Katherine Brand, University of Michigan

The popular singers’ recent behavior on social media has fans concerned that she is being manipulated by a controlling conservatorship.

By Danielle Kuzel, Florida State University

The app has a lot more to offer than Addison Rae’s dance videos. These redecorating hacks will help you achieve your dream space.

By Madelyn Haasken, Bemidji State University

Users of the app are claiming these techniques can help you achieve anything you’d like. But do they actually work?

By Brian Xi, University of California, Berkeley

What seems to be a comical trend on the popular video-sharing platform actually hints at a larger discontent with the status quo.

By Emma Smith, Wesleyan University

The reality TV sensation features fierce rivalry, but it also offers a lens into female empowerment and dynamic female representation.

By Mia Kellner, University of St Andrews

The video app is credited with revitalizing interest in the retro sport, but roller-skating has been an integral part of people’s lives and culture for decades.

By Hannah Docter-Loeb, Wesleyan University

Not everyone has access to the same feed on the video-sharing app. The types of videos you see may determine what division you are a part of.

By Abigail Adeleke, University of Miami

Sometimes their actions spill out into real life, but really, they’re harmless, mostly.

By Danielle Kuzel, Florida State University

The videos are more than just dances and lip syncing challenges — the app is changing how we find music, and even affecting the music charts.

By McKenna Uzelac, Columbia University

The era of Britney Spears and Juicy Couture is back, and it’s a perfect complement to the social turmoil being experienced by Generation Z.

By Hannah Docter-Loeb, Wesleyan University

The video-sharing app uses a variety of different types of sounds and phrases, but just where exactly did these catchy snippets come from?

By Madelyn Haasken, Bemidji State University

With popular trends like the ‘back profile challenge’ and ‘what I eat in a day’ videos, the social media app is encouraging body image negativity.

By Kate Carter, Middle Tennessee State University

By Desiree Jaime, Hofstra University

From curling your hair with straws to turning FaceTime off with your head, which viral tricks from the social media app are the real deal?

By Nayeli G. Pena, Colorado College

Once made up of musicians recording songs at home, the style is now infiltrating the mainstream.

By Vaishnavi Kalyana, College of DuPage

The coronavirus lockdown has resulted in a burst of creativity on the social media app. 

By Kate Carter, Middle Tennessee State University

This new internet trend has people posting unflattering pictures of themselves on Instagram and leaving them up for 24 hours. How did it start and why now?

By Victoria Acosta, Southern Adventist University

Back in 2018, the singer-rapper asked you, ‘Got milk, b–ch? Got beef?’ Now, the ‘70s disco queen wants to know, ‘Why don’t you say so?’

By Nayeli G. Pena, Colorado College

Chances are, you probably didn’t know who created the ‘Renegade’ dance a few weeks ago.

By Asha MacKay, Wellesley College

He has received support from fellow TikTok creators for making light of the leak. Meanwhile, female celebs are on the defensive.

By Nayeli G. Pena, Colorado College

The self-awareness of a new generation is propelling this internet-age style of music into the mainstream.

By Nayeli G. Pena, Colorado College

The social media platform, which seems engineered for virality, is displacing streaming services like Spotify when it comes to finding new songs and artists.

By Abby Webb, Rice University

The app might appear to be just a harmless reincarnation of Vine, but TikTok has plenty of skeletons in its digital closet.

By Giana Gayles, Stanford University

Once part of the online ‘Wild West,’ the social media giant is now less concerned with open conversation and more concerned with ad dollars.

By Carli Moses, Union University

The retaliation toward a critical older generation with this new phrase certainly ignites discussion, but at what cost?

By Giana Gayles, Stanford University

We all love a little weirdness.

By Madalyn Watson, Baylor University

And why are these questions keeping me up at night?

By Katelyn Melder, Kutztown University of Pennsylvania

It’s about time we all “see them aliens.”

By Ashley Peterson, Geneva College

Though its beginnings were rocky, the creative minds on TikTok might be ready to bear the torch of internet meme royalty.