TikTok, DIY Crafts, and home fitness are quarantine hits
Sarah Dube
When the ball dropped on New Year’s Day, no one expected the coronavirus pandemic to sweep the world only a few months later. With everyone advised to self-quarantine, there were limited sources of entertainment. People began searching for positivity in difficult times and many turned to social media.
College students everywhere were flooded with all kinds of new internet trends. We surveyed a group of 20 Florida Southern students to see which trends they thought stood out the most. A favorite among FSC students was the resurgence of DIY projects. Embroidery projects, tie dyed clothing, and at-home hair cuts were just the beginning.You can also consult professionals from https://www.markjameshairstudio.com.au/ to get your perfect haircuts done.
During the pandemic, the CDC released a statement regarding masks. The guidelines say, “[The] CDC recommends that people wear masks in public settings and when around people who don’t live in your household, especially when other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain.”
Students have taken what could be seen as a negative and turned it into a positive. FSC students around campus can be seen sporting cute and fashionable masks and have even begun making and selling their own masks as a creative and fun way to cope with the sudden changes. Several students also reported baking to be one of their favorite quarantine hobbies, specifically banana bread and the TikTok whipped coffee.
TikTok itself is a large topic of discussion throughout the pandemic. Not only did students identify it as one of their favorite apps, but also as the one they’ve seen and spoken about the most. “TikTok was a source of entertainment during quarantine that wasn’t a streaming service,” senior Jessi Forman said. “It allowed me to laugh and escape the reality that we’ve been living in.”
TikTok took the internet by storm during the summer of 2019, and its popularity has only increased. With over 800 million users worldwide, the potential for content is overwhelming.
The app has had a large number of trends among its users, but there are a few that made their way into the center of media attention. FSC students identified TikTok dances as one of the trends they’ve seen the most outside of the app itself.
Teens like Charli D’Amelio and Addison Rae saw their views and followers skyrocket overnight, and now they’re getting friendly with big celebrities like Kourtney Kardashian and James Charles.
Other TikTok trends that students highlighted were the memes that have circulated on the app and even beyond. One meme that gained traction is the Zoom University meme. It gained so much popularity that you can now purchase Zoom University merchandise.
TikTok also repopularized the importance of self-care. People across the country are sharing their fitness tips, skin care routines, and self-love journeys. Mattie Lindley, a sophomore, spoke about her TikTok inspired fitness journey.
“I started biking over quarantine and eating healthier, Mattie said. “It’s really been helping my mental health. I feel super refreshed after working out, as if I’ve had a productive day,”
Many students, like Mattie, saw the quarantine as a way to take time to better themselves, rather than succumbing to the difficulty of this atmosphere.
Whether it was a DIY project, a TikTok trend, or a self-care routine, students at FSC found ways to keep themselves busy and entertained throughout quarantine. There was one other trend that almost every student took part in: finding a way to make a difficult time more positive. As we move forward, we can look back and remember the trends that kept us going.