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How is “Bama Rush” taking over on TikTok?
Sorority recruitment at the University of Alabama has gone viral on TikTok. The video is recorded of the rush process by potential new members, aka PNMs.
What are the trends, what are the trends
Another day, another Controversy on TikTok no one seems to be able to stop talking about it.
Since then, the arts and crafts corner of the video sharing application has been booming @TayBeepBoopa handyman and interior designer with around 2 million followers, arrested @kaarinjoyanother DIY influencer with around 2 million followers, for appearing to copy some of her projects and color palettes.
The ensuing tearful exchanges between them sparked thousands of reaction videos and comments across the app as people take sides and debate who deserves proper credit and whether credit is even necessary when someone creates art inspired by DIY content or other public sources like Pinterest.
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It’s a murky subject, but experts say one thing is clear: Humans remain hardwired to be social and take sides in conflict, based on who they identify with most.
“Not only do people share their views, but those views are supported and amplified by the masses,” said Smriti Joshi, licensed clinical psychologist and lead psychologist at Mental Health App. Wysa, told USA TODAY. “For this reason, whether the opinion is positive or negative, users feel justified in their voice because people continually like, share and join in with these thoughts, almost turning them into a kind of campaign. It’s really about winning.”
Why do we care so much about craft drama?
The internet hit hard @TayBeepBoop, who deleted her original video accusing @kaarinjoy of stealing her ideas and later posted a separate video earlier this month apologizing. The interest in the DIY creator conflict has been staggering; the hashtag #TayBeepBoopDrama has nearly 10 million views.
Experts say Internet users find it happy to see someone fall from grace in real time, even if the punishment (the hatred of thousands) doesn’t fit the crime (suggesting someone stole an idea from your DIY video).
“It gives people a temporary escape from their own lives, allowing them to indulge in the thrill of someone else’s conflict without being directly involved,” said Molly McPherson, a crisis management and public relations expert. “It taps into our innate desire for justice and our fascination with human conflict. It’s like watching real-life reality TV unfold before our eyes, and people can’t help but follow along in their feeds to see how everything this is unfolding.”
It also gives people an opportunity to connect with others who share a frustration over an argument in which they took the same side.
“It creates allies and alliances that empower the person posting their problem,” said Cheyenne Bryant, a life coach who has appeared on “Teen Mom: Family Reunion” and holds a Ph.D. in counseling psychology. “It gives them momentum and helps them build a culture around the issue. It can also be cathartic for them, making them feel like they have a support system and aren’t alone. “
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It’s not just influencers who go viral and spark hate
The craft controversy is not the first to rock the app. Earlier this year, TikTok saw the rise of #CakeGate And #TattooGateboth of which involved dissatisfied customers going viral for complaining about the quality of expensive goods and services they purchased.
The internet, and especially TikTok in recent years, has taken ventilation to the next level. When we feel like we’re being given the short end of the stick, we look for those who will tell us we’re right, experts say, and, in viral videos, people are able to find thousands of people who are agreement with them.
“When you feel like you’re being scammed, you usually feel a sense of helplessness,” said Andrea Bonior, clinical psychologist and host of the podcast “Baggage screening: discussions and advice on mental health“Posting about it often attempts to turn the tide, giving you validation when people agree you’ve been wronged.”
More: Internet users are fighting over a rainbow cake. It’s gotten out of control.
Experts say these viral phenomena are not limited to a craft idea, a cake or a tattoo; it’s about the urge to choose sides and the need to feel validated by others, even if they have no real connection to either party.
Additionally, theater has always had the power to bring people together. Now this is happening on a much larger scale.
“People have always been drawn to gossip and conflict,” said Gayle Stever, a professor of social and behavioral sciences at Empire State University in New York. “In my mother’s day, it was the neighbors, and it would have been the cake shop down the street. Today, because the boundaries of our social worlds have expanded, we learn these things at a distance , but the human propensity to weigh in on something that essentially has nothing to do with us is irresistible to many people – not all.”
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Contributor: Hannah Yasharoff