Photo via A FUSCO/YouTube

TikTok is home to a seemingly never-ending stream of trends, challenges, and viral moments. Creators flock to the app to share amusing experiences, dance, and occasionally indulge their nostalgia through a timely trend that leans on special childhood memories.

Such is the case with the video-sharing app’s latest trend, which uses audio from the decades-long run of PBS’s Reading Rainbow. The educational children’s television series ran for more than 20 years, between 1983 and 2006, and became a staple of hundreds of thousands of childhoods during its run. The audio that accompanies the show’s intro is instantly recognizable to fans of the former series and has become the official soundtrack for TikTok’s latest trend.

TikTok’s Reading Rainbow filter

On TikTok, the Reading Rainbow filter is typically used to emphasize a situation in which someone feels out of their depth. The audio is commonly paired with a space-themed background, which drifts past several planets, and the sun, along with a set of daunting math to really drive home how lost people feel in a given situation.

Most of the videos participating in the trend clock in at less than 15 seconds, using just the opening lines from the intro to PBS’s popular series. Uploads cover everything from concepts that are difficult to grasp — like daylight savings time — to amusing or baffling childhood stories.

The filter also prompted a hilarious exchange of stories, after one creator used it to detail the two weeks she drank “vodka” flavored coffee, only to later learn that “Bailey’s Irish Cream is, in fact, alcohol.” This prompted another creator to share her story of accidental alcohol use in the comment section, and ultimately inspired her to make her own TikTok discussing the week her mom “accidentally packed Mike’s Hard Lemonade” into her school lunches.

There’s really no limit to what the Reading Rainbow theme can accompany, as proved by the massive range of TikToks leaning into the trend. Hundreds of creators have already found a use for the popular audio, and it doesn’t look ready to slow down any time soon.

Image via TikTok

A lot of TikTok users woke up today to a nasty surprise. User videos throughout the site are vanishing for no apparent reason, due to an apparent glitch that’s affecting iPhone and Android users across the globe.

Usually, a user’s videos will appear in a large grid — depending on how many the user in question has uploaded — underneath the user’s profile, but those affected by the glitch are seeing nothing but a black area with a message reading “No Videos Yet.”

As is often the case with such glitches, TikTok is keeping mum on the issue. TikTok is no stranger to service-wide glitches; just a few weeks ago, many users were experiencing sounds vanishing mysteriously from their favorites tab, for instance. The unwritten policy seems to be to solve the problem as quickly as possible in-house, while avoiding any kind of social media reach-out to users. Often the best “fix” for a technical issue with TikTok is to merely wait until the IT workers at the company find and fix the problem.

Users worried that their videos have vanished forever likely don’t need to panic at this point. It’s more than likely that they are still “there,” with “there” being the servers they were stored on. The glitch is simply preventing user access, and once it’s fixed, the videos should show up under the user profile, just like they have in the past.

That said, there are a few things users can do to attempt to address the issue. First, attempt a hard reboot of your phone. Press and hold your power button for 20 seconds if you are an Android user. iPhone users should hold the sleep/wake button and volume down button simultaneously. Once the phone has powered down, press the power button, or the sleep/wake button, to restart.

If that doesn’t do the trick, you can also try clearing TikTok’s cache memory on your device. Just open TikTok, tap Profile in the bottom right, tap the 3-line icon in the top right, and tap “Clear cache.”

If videos still aren’t showing up after that…it’s time to play the waiting game. And yes, the waiting game sucks. You may want to find something else to amuse yourself while TikTok’s techs attmpt to patch the glitch.

Photo via @KeshaRose/Twitter

In the weeks since Russia invaded Ukraine, people around the globe have been searching for ways to help those affected by the conflict.

On top of donating to charities and participating in food drives, people are striving to think up creative new ways to lend their support. The search for alternate ways to help inspired people to rent out Ukrainian Airbnbs, buy up Ukrainian art from Etsy stores, and create new technologies to assist citizens fleeing the war.

Users on TikTok, eager to join charitable efforts, seized on the idea of using their platform for good. Claims of TikTok “dances to help Ukraine” quickly started spreading on the platform as users sought to put their TikTok-honed skills to good use.

Is ‘5 dances to help Ukraine’ real?

The idea that dancing will actually lend any help to Ukraine is ludicrous, and very much false, but that isn’t stopping users from participating in the odd trend.

A hilariously scathing article from Cinch News started the rumor that certain TikTok dances could “scare Putin into submission” and soon inspired numerous creators to get in on the trend. It also listed several dances that will supposedly frighten the Russians back into their own country. Many of the songs on the list — which include Jason Derulo’s “Savage Love,” Kesha’s “Cannibal,” and Megan Thee Stallion’s “Savage” — are clearly satirical. Their names are pseudo “scary” and the accompanying dances are maybe supposed to seem aggressive?

Thankfully, very few creators seem to have actually taken the idea seriously. Even as the trend was spreading on TikTok, it was getting flamed on other social media sites. Users flocked to Twitter to mock the notion of dancing to end war and shredded any creators naive enough to fall for the stunt.

“I like how it’s ‘to help Ukraine fight Russia’ as if Ukraine soldiers are hooked up to a machine powered only by TikTok dances,” one person joked, according to Distractify.

People were, overall, utterly flabbergasted at the notion of war-eliminating TikTok dances, and delighted in the opportunity to absolutely wreck the few unfortunate fools who took Tina Mironov — the author of the Cinch News article — seriously. Cinch News is straightforward about its role as a satirical news publication, describing itself as “your most trusted, biased news source” before proclaiming that readers “will listen to us and not question us.”

Very few people seemed aware of the satirical aims of the article, however, leaving them to spiral into a pit of despair at what our world has become. They proclaimed that we have come to “a complete downward spiral in evolution” and swore to exact revenge on Mironov.

The trend, for those still unaware of its satirical origins, is being compared to half of Hollywood banding together for that brutally cringey “Imagine” cover.

For those in on the joke, however, it is lending some much-needed amusement to the current situation unraveling in Ukraine. And it’s tricking at least a few TikTok creators into making themselves look like absolute dullards.

For those interested in actually helping Ukrainians in need, there are a few stellar ways to lend aid. The best route, according to Unicef Senior Emergencies Specialist Dan Walden, is to donate money to a range of charities. Well-intentioned goods are appreciated, he told The Guardian, but often take too long to actually reach Ukrainian citizens.

Donating to charities is the most immediate and direct way to assist Ukrainians in need and can be done by anyone with some extra income to spare. Browse this list from Charity Watch, which lays out the best charities providing aid to Ukraine, to find the best option for you.

Photo via POP SMOKE/YouTube

A viral new dance trend is taking off on TikTok, as users around the globe try their hand at getting sturdy.

The dance, and the phrase itself, is open to interpretation, which is leading to quite a bit of confusion among TikTok’s creator base. Here’s what we know about TikTok’s new favorite dance style, including how it started, who’s doing it, and how you can join in.

Get sturdy

Frequent TikTok users have probably stumbled across at least one or two videos featuring claims of “getting sturdy.” The video-sharing platform is home to so many dance trends, however, that differentiating between them can quickly become a challenge. Thus, while many users have probably witnessed a “sturdy” video, many probably didn’t recognize the dance behind it.

The specifics of “getting sturdy” are somewhat fluid, which means that any number of dance videos could potentially be leaning into the trend. Most videos specifically sporting a sturdy vibe will feature leg-oriented dance moves. If you see a lot of kicks, hops, low spins, and drops, you may be watching a user get sturdy. If you suspect a video of being sturdy but can’t quite tell, check the comment section. Videos with proper sturdy vibes are sure to have a few supportive comments lauding them for their epic sturdy style.

Where did it start?

The dance style has been around for a few months now but manages to maintain its dominance on TikTok. According to Dexerto, the dance is an evolution of the “Woo Walk” popularized by Pop Smoke, a Brooklyn rapper with some stellar moves. Pop Smoke passed away in Feb. 2020, but left a legacy behind, one that continues to spread thanks to TikTok’s embrace of the sturdy dance.

The origins of the dance can be seen in Pop Smoke’s 2019 music video for “Dior,” a song that went on to peak at number 22 on the Billboard Hot 100. Pop Smoke even tosses out the term near the beginning of the song, asking listeners if they’re “feelin’ sturdy” before launching into the song’s catchy chorus. The music video also features some of the earliest evidence of getting sturdy, as the men in the video hop from side to side with one hand on their belts.

A solid and trackable rhythm is all but required for any effort toward getting sturdy, as the dance largely leans on sharp, on-beat movements centered around the lower body. The upper body largely remains out of the mix, allowing the dance to focus almost exclusively on the legs and feet.

TikTok’s take on getting sturdy

Variations of the dance are scattered all over TikTok and YouTube. They come in dozens of different shapes and forms, and many incorporate far more upper body movement than Pop Smoke’s version did. Creators often ask, in the captions for their trendy uploads, if they qualify for the rank of “sturdy.”

There are a few favored songs to get sturdy to, particularly on TikTok. Pop Smoke’s “Dior” is an easy and available option, but features more often in YouTube compilations than in TikTok’s brief uploads. Several other tracks are taking their place, most of which have rapid, robust tempos to match up with those quick movements. One song — a remix of Nickelodeon’s Fairly Odd Parents theme — is particularly popular among sturdy uploads.

The song behind the dance doesn’t really matter, however, so long as you’ve got the moves to back it up.

Photos via c0rbo/TikTok and beauty.and.the.booze/TikTok

You’ve probably seen TikTok videos where two or more people react to a TikTok or singers ask people to duet and sing with them. A big part of interacting on TikTok involves duetting. In this article, we’ll teach you how to use this unique feature so you can confidently join in on this popular trend.

You can get really creative with the Duet feature, as it’s something that only TikTok offers and a lot of trends and memes depend on it. It’s a great way to respond or comment on a TikTok video, and sometimes the reaction can be much more interesting than the original video.

Here’s a step-by-step guide of how to duet on TikTok:

• Step 1. Open the TikTok app and find a video you want to duet with.
• Step 2. Tap on the “Share” button.
• Step 3. Tap on the Duet button at the bottom of the screen.
• Step 4. Start recording your video and publish when you’re happy with the result.

You can still use all of TikTok’s features, such as applying filters, changing the speed of your video, and setting a timer. Once you record your video, the original one will be shown on the right side, while yours will be on the left side of the screen.

You can also duet your own video or with a duet of a video. In that case, the video can be displayed in three parts, two on top and yours beneath them. There isn’t a limit to how many times you can duet a video, so each time you add to the duets, the original will get smaller and can even not be in the final video anymore.

There are some common examples of videos that you can duet with and will see other duetting, such as sing-along TikToks, acting TikToks, dancing TikToks, and open verse challenges. Over time, creators have proven that there are no limits to how you can contribute creatively on the app.

Here are some examples of duet TikTok videos that might inspire you.

@Angryreactions

This TikTok account is almost all based on duetting and making funny or wholesome reactions with an angry face.

Adding original music

A common type of duet is singing over a meme or creating a song based on something that has nothing to do with music. It can be more interesting than simply using the original audio.

Building over a random video

This can vary depending on the original video, but you can also see different people contributing to create a completely different product in the end.

Celebrity reactions

If you’re lucky, a celebrity might react to your TikTok. Some are more present in the app like the ones above as well as Gordon Ramsey, Selena Gomez, Dwayne Johson, and Charlie Puth.

Image via TikTok

Some find it funny, others find it sweet, others have heard it so many times and in so many videos that they’re getting a little sick of it, but whatever you’re opinion on it is, if you’ve spent a few hours whiling away your free time scrolling through your TikTok feed you’ve probably heard the “I’m just a baby” sound used in at least one video.

The sound, which is featured on many of the video-sharing platforms’ most popular and liked posts, consists of a mother asking her child, Coco, to stop doing something when she asks. The child responds with an offhand, “I’m just a baby,” and mom repeats that she must obey only to be met with a much firmer restated “I’m just a baby!”

The sound was originally posted by TikTok user @little.blooming.women, who boasts an impressive 131 thousand followers and describes herself on her user page as a “Midwest mama and home educator to 4 girls.” The video, entitled “Did. She. Stutter?” features Coco, wearing a cute denim dress, being talked to by her frustrated mother, Jordan, who tries to explain that Coco needs to obey her. Coco doesn’t really seem fully on board. Over 50 million TikTok users have seen the video since it was posted in February, but that’s not the most viral thing about the post.

Many users have taken the video’s sound and used it to overdub their own videos, the most popular of which generally feature an adorable — and oftentimes obviously spoiled — pet, generally to hilarious or at least heartwarming effect.

Of course, domestic pets aren’t the only animals to get the Baby treatment. Other, wilder beasts occasionally feature as well.

So far, the trend doesn’t seem to show any signs of dying away. It may go on to become a mainstay sound clip like Kreepa’s “Oh No” or “Don’t Be Suspicious” from Parks & Rec. Puppies need to do their part, though, and stay cute.

TikTok is spiraling into a heated debate about two of the most unassuming things on the planet: doors and wheels.

The video-sharing platform’s latest discussion is centered around a very vital question: are there more doors in the world, or wheels? It seems a straightforward question, but the debate surrounding it is anything but.

Creators from all over the world are chiming in to share their opinions, laying out examples of why they think one item beats out the other. The conversation has stretched to multiple continents, engaging creators from all walks of life to interject with some new observation or stunning realization.

Doors vs. Wheels

The debate seems simple, before one ventures down the rabbit hole of supporting evidence creators have dredged up over the last week. My brain immediately seized on wheels as the obvious victor. There are at least four wheels on nearly every vehicle in existence, after all, along with most other forms of transportation. Add tire shops and mechanics into the mix, and — in the realm of man-sized transportation options alone — wheels seem to be the obvious victor.

But, if you agree with me, you’re probably failing to consider the absolute abundance of doors in existence. Consider only the doors in your own home, for just a moment. The obvious ones will be easy, but what about the more subtle ones? Are you considering your microwave door, fridge, pantry, cabinets, or car? That’s right, a large portion of cars — the very same heavy hitter from the wheels camp — sport at least the same number of doors that they do wheels.

The flood of examples that start coming to mind once one really examines this innocuous question explains precisely why this query is TikTok’s new favorite topic. It’s honestly a great question, one that continues to split opinions among TikTok’s user base.

The door camp

Over in the door camp, we have the portion of TikTok that thinks the world’s skyscrapers, school lockers, and bathrooms vastly outpace anything wheels can offer up. They’ve flooded TikTok with examples of the world’s many, many doors, making cases for things like high-rise apartment buildings, advent calendars, and mailboxes.

Many people leaned on the argument that a number of things with wheels also have numerous doors. It helped bolster their side of the debate, but was far from enough to convince people on the opposite side.

Wheels all the way

Over on the wheel side of the argument, people made excellent points by incorporating the estimated one billion cars in the world alongside suitcases, rolling chairs, and shopping carts. None of these items — excluding cars, of course — have doors, but all of them have numerous wheels.

Team Wheel comes off as a bit more intense than Team Door, leaning on examples like “the Lego group” to emphasize how many wheels truly exist in the modern age. These arguments were bolstered by points noting things like wheeled hospital beds, IV stands, wheelchairs, and rollercoasters.

The definition of “door” and “wheel” also became hazy as users fought to justify their opinions over the opinions of others. Team Wheel started to incorporate things like gears, cogs, and even hinges into their arguments. In retaliation, Team Door started to consider things like DVD cases, entryways, and heart valves to fall into their camp, deteriorating the debate into completely unnavigable territory.

While both camps certainly made their points well, it’s hard to beat user @enjoithesucc’s stellar breakdown. He actually did the math, calculating up billions of wheels and doors from around the world, and came to the well-founded conclusion that doors are the more plentiful.

Sorry, wheels. But, as @enjoithesucc put it, perhaps it’s time to “sit down” in those wheely chairs and roll away. “You’re done.”

Ewan McGregor’s much-hyped return to the role of Obi-Wan has seen its first look, with the first trailer for Obi-Wan Kenobi finally dropping following a cute tweet from the show’s official Twitter account teasing something on the horizon.

Originally, the internet had been convinced that the Jedi Order’s most prolific Force user would make his long-awaited return as part of a trailer at last month’s Super Bowl. Frustratingly, the sporting event came and went without nary a whisper of the warrior-turned-hermit’s emergence, leaving fans to yet again twiddle their thumbs. The wait, however, is finally over. Check out the first-look for yourselves above.

Ewan McGregor returns as Obi-Wan, while Hayden Christensen is back as the villainous Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader. A smörgåsbord of other actors have signed on for the series in unnamed roles, including Eternals‘ Kumail Nanjiani. Owen and Beru Lars have also been cast for the series, with Joel Edgerton and Bonnie Piesse reprising both roles respectively.

Obi-Wan Kenobi Poster

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Click to zoom 

Directed by Deborah Chow, whose previous credits include Mr. Robot and The Mandalorian, Obi-Wan Kenobi is set 10 years after the events of Revenge of the Sith in the aftermath of Order 66 and the fall of the Jedi. Joby Harold is confirmed as the writer for the series, having previously been executive producer on Edge of Tomorrow.

As far as overarching plot goes, the trailer doesn’t let the veil slip too much in that regard, though fans can rest assured, at the very least, that a spectacle-laden rematch between Jedi Master and Padawan is guaranteed.

Obi-Wan Kenobi is scheduled to premiere May 25, exclusively on Disney Plus.

If you’re a longtime TikTok user, by now you’ve probably liked or bookmarked someone else’s video. You may have even downloaded a particular favorite. Sharing videos is the platform’s entire point, and one way TikTok keeps its users engaged is to provide them with the ability to download a video to their phone or device’s camera roll to watch later as many times as they like. But is there any way to find out who may have downloaded one of your own videos?

If you’ve never saved a video from TikTok, it’s easy to do from any device you use the service on. And unlike many social media apps, you can download content off of TikTok without even having an existing account. Just launch TikTok, find a video you want to keep, press the “share to” button with the arrow icon, and tap save video. The should save to your camera roll or photos app.

Whether the user can tell it was you that downloaded their content? The answer is no. And you won’t be able to see if they’ve downloaded yours. Currently, TikTok does not provide its users with the name of other users who download their content. At least if a user has made that content public. Users can check their analytics on the app and can find out if their content was downloaded, but the app will not tell you what user specifically downloaded your video.

Many are perfectly fine with this arrangement. Plenty of users are perfectly happy just to be engaging users’ views and likes. After all, the basic business model of the major influencers on the app is very much based on getting as many likes and followers as possible. Some users, however, are not as happy with the anonymity other users have when dealing with personal content. If you fall towards the latter side of the argument, there are steps you can take to safeguard your videos.

To prevent random users from downloading your content, you need to turn off your download switch under your privacy settings. To do that, complete the following steps:

1. Launch the app
2. Tap on the “Profile” tab
3. Tap the three line icon at the top of the screen and select “Settings and Privacy”
4. select privacy and scroll down until you find the “Video Downloads” switch
5. Toggle the switch to the off position to prevent others from downloading your videos.

Image via Warner Bros.

It seems Matt Reeves’ new superhero drama The Batman can make a believer out of anyone – even real bats, the species that sparked the enduring storyline.

Though the three-hour flick has been met with a range of reviews, it’s a commercial success from all indications, so much so that live bats crashed the party at one unnamed movie theatre. In a viral video making the rounds on social media, the movie has been paused, ironically during a scene at Bruce Wayne’s Batcave. The lights have been turned on as the moviegoers marvel at the unexpected intruders to the DC franchise reboot. 

Naturally, the twenty-second clip has taken over the internet, sparking hilarious comments. Some joked that the video creator, @Jeremiah24_, was clearly at the 3D screening. Others claimed it was a Warner Bros. promotion ploy. There were even those that suggested that they’d swarmed in support of Pattinson’s portrayal of the Caped Crusader!

The Batman is out in cinemas now.