Thirst Traps? Therapy? How TikTok trends are helping S'pore youths cope with life
Maui Wowie. Tears. The Fate of Ophelia. The Magic Bomb.
These aren't just random words - they're songs that have inspired viral TikTok trends in recent times. Some, like The Magic Bomb, first went viral during the 2020 lockdown and have since resurfaced in new iterations.
From hanging off streetlamps to answering questions while performing a hand dance, and dancing to everyone's new favourite Taylor Swift song, TikTok trends span moods - and it seems everyone wants in.
But are these 30-second videos just fleeting entertainment, or have they become something more meaningful - modern rituals of self-care?
Belonging in a scrollable world
For many young people, the urge to belong is as intense as ever. Even with the world literally at their fingertips, today's youth navigate identity, expression, and social connection online.
"Many of these trends resonate with young people as they tap into their phases of identity formation as well as needs for expression," says Natalie Pang, Head and Associate Professor of Communications and New Media at the National University of Singapore.
Polytechnic student Cassandra Choo knows this firsthand. She was approached by Universal Music Singapore for a TikTok campaign featuring Tears by Sabrina Carpenter. Filming the video "seemed easy enough," and with her penchant for posting fit checks, joining the trend was a no-brainer.
"Beyond ease of participation," explains Prof Pang, "being part of a trend is a way to join in a conversation or signal that they resonate with the message carried in the trend, and, in many ways, to belong together".
She adds, "The act of expression is also a reflexive practice in the sense that the process of participation gives them an opportunity to not just tap into their own needs, but also think about how their expressive practices impact others."
Temporary dopamine or real self care?
According to Prof Pang, social media trends tend to be "multisensory", with music and dance elements that "engages the affective and emotional aspects of development for young people", which leads some young people to rely on them as ways to find support and "process stress".
But the effects of stress relief by engaging in catchy trends are not always long-lasting.
For 19-year-old Ms Choo, if she's facing "minor" stress, then taking part in fun trends can be a valid way to manage that stress. However, if the problem she's facing is something bigger, then these trends are more likely to be a temporary form of escapism.
29-year-old Affiq, who participates in TikTok trends that are tied to "seasonal events", adopts a similar view.
The product manager, who only wants to be known by his first name recounts that when he was actively creating "unhinged" relationship content in university, it felt like a "real, productive" way to manage his stress.
"By transforming my personal drama into a humorous, relatable video and getting high view counts, I was essentially reclaiming control over frustrating situations," he elaborates.
Now, with a more settled life, TikTok trends have become a platform for showcasing creativity rather than escaping reality.
"When I participate in seasonal trends, it's a way to showcase a high-effort passion project. I don't have the time to create daily, so when I do put in the time for an elaborate costume or a perfectly executed transition, the TikTok trend becomes the perfect vehicle to display that creative accomplishment to an audience," Affiq shares.
His recent participation in the Tears transition was a "celebratory" way to flaunt his elaborate Halloween costume - Rumi from the Netflix animated series K-pop Demon Hunters.
The catch in keeping up
TikTok trends aren't all fun and games, experts warn.
Counsellors Alvin Seng and Sonam Damani, who work with youths at WE CARE Community Services, caution that the pressure to produce content can lead to "compulsive use patterns linked to negative mental health outcomes and addiction risks".
The rapid pace at which social media cycles through trends can become a disruptive source of stress. According to the counsellors, while active social media interactions can alleviate feelings of boredom and isolation, they can increase the risk of "upward comparison and distress linked to self-identity and image".
The downsides aren't just limited to mental health.
Prof Pang cites the Maui Wowie trend, blackout challenge, and Benadryl challenge as examples of TikTok trends that can pose serious safety concerns.
In some cases, these trends have had fatal consequences. The Benadryl Challenge, for instance, encouraged teens to take high doses of the medication to hallucinate, resulting in seizures, brain damage, and even death.
The Blackout Challenge, which involves self-asphyxiation for the camera, has claimed the lives of minors in several countries.
Even seemingly less lethal stunts, like the Maui Wowie challenge, have raised alarms locally.
The trend was started by TikToker @aaronxbrown, who posted a video of himself hanging from a traffic light while lip-syncing to American rapper Kid Cudi's 2008 track Maui Wowie.
By Oct 14, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) issued a warning against hanging on traffic lights, street signs, and other road infrastructure as the challenge gained traction locally.
These cases show how the pursuit of virality can carry real-world dangers, experts say.
Not always doom and gloom
Though there are downsides to staying on top of and participating in TikTok trends, these are manageable and not always stress, according to the creators Stomp interviewed.
Ms Choo confesses that her content sometimes ends up on the "wrong people's" For You Page (FYP). Her content is typically aimed at people of her age group, and older people tend to "misunderstand" her humour.
That said, she does not consider that stressful. "I think random people on the Internet getting accidentally ragebaited by a 19-year-old making TikToks for other 19 year olds is quite funny," she laughs.
To Ms Choo, all this is just a "normal occurrence" of being online.
Perhaps for others, like Affiq, the pressure to create trendy content fades away with time.
As he's heading into his thirties, his life has more or less "stabilised", making the pressure to perform on social media pretty negligible.
"I just want to document moments in my life."
Whether as a creative outlet or a coping mechanism, TikTok trends have evolved beyond fleeting fads. For many young users, they've become part of how they make sense of life - one 30-second video at a time.
