The running of the bulls has made TikTok a fun way to get together as a family

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They become famous for tips on the covid-19 on TikTok 1:28

(CNN) - Families around the world have been locked up for entire weeks ... and have been together this time. Did they already tear each other apart? Are family ties of love breaking and giving way to domestic lawlessness?

On TikTok, the global platform for video sharing, the answer is (thankfully) negative.

In fact, the app's content is full of moms, dads, sisters, brothers, aunts and cousins ​​and even family dogs - all united to create fun, creative and often really healthy quarantine content.

The result is proof that families staying together can… create content together, even when it seems like the rest of life is much more difficult than it should be.

A family dance party

Until recently, TikTok was considered to be primarily a youth game. The application achieved worldwide popularity thanks to millions of teenagers and young people who flocked to its endless and addictive short video content made by its own users. With a few taps, users can participate in dance challenges or other creative trends that spread across the platform and have turned ordinary teens into famous names.

• READ: 12 essential applications to make quarantine bearable

On top of that, music by hyper-famous artists like Doja Cat, Bazzi, Mighty Bay, and Dua Lipa lays the foundation for routines and memes that are often indecipherable to anyone who remembers life before iPhones.

But, as it happens in all youth social media platforms, older people and adults always manage to sneak in. Naive mothers, fathers, and grandparents have become TikTok stars, often without even realizing it. And even if a video doesn't go viral, it's still a fun way to spend an evening.

Ken Schwartz is isolated with his wife and 17-year-old twins in Arlington, Virginia. Like many families, they planned movie nights, watched chapter after chapter of "The Crown" and cleaned the garden shed twice. Schwartz's stepson Ian even wrote a short film for the family called "Quarantine!"

Ken Schwartz, Ian and Ben Schoenfield dancing “Say So” by Doja Cat.

"We were so bad at acting that we tried to make a dance video instead," Schwartz said.

The entrance signal sounds for the TikTok attempt, and then they accomplished a multi-generational dance routine for Doja Cat's “Say So”.

Schwartz and his wife continue to work while isolated, so things can get complicated. "We definitely have our time apart," he explained. "But yes, we are also finding ways to be creative and be together," he added.

It is the place to be right now

People can deal with physical isolation in different ways. Some believe. Some people watch series compulsively. Others look for any platform where they can connect with their team. And some, well, they just want to get away.

TikTok has a little bit of everything.

Users spend almost as much time on the app a day as it takes to watch an episode of your favorite drama - 45 minutes in 2019, according to Fast Company. And because the platform offers something new to discover every few seconds, it can be just as addictive and enjoyable as the popular Nintendo Switch game Animal Crossing.

The interface has fewer interruptions than YouTube, where the ads and algorithms make it difficult to get into a multiple video beat. In addition, the content tends to have a more authentic and own feeling, something closer to the now-defunct Vine video app than to the aesthetic world of Instagram.

It comes as no surprise that TikTok has been the site of some important cultural moments recently. Millions of people have seen TikToks created by healthcare professionals who spread key information about the covid-19, debunk myths, and reveal the realities - and humanity - of their daily battles. When Gloria Gaynor is in your TikTok feed showing you how to wash your hands properly while singing "I Will Survive", you know that you are living in quite unusual times.

Offers other ways to create

Although the app is famous mainly for its musical aspects, it is also a treasure trove of tutorials, exercise videos, comedy routines, provocative images, internal jokes, newspaper-style narrations and all kinds of entertainment to spend hours in front of the screen.

Sophia Kianni, 18, and her sister Sabrina, 16, are in quarantine with their family in McClean, Virginia. Sabrina is very popular on TikTok, with nearly 54,000 followers and multiple videos accumulating seven-figure views. The sisters have spent time in isolation thinking of new ideas for their account (Sophia doesn't even have a TikTok profile), which usually focus on smart memes and content from everyday life for teens.

• READ: Am I claustrophobic about quarantine? What is it, and how to "cure" it?

"This quarantine has given us the opportunity to do these fun things together again," said Sophia. "Something that I especially appreciate because I am going to college next year and she is my best friend, so I will miss her very much."

The sisters have also been using TikTok to test recipes and get inspiration from exercise routines - two common interests for people trying to stay active and reasonably nourished during isolation.

"We made a three-ingredient creme brûlée with our mother using a TikTok, and we also made three-ingredient teriyaki chicken," said Sophia.

They've also tried frozen grapes with lemon juice, strawberry and banana bites, and a Persian dish called Faloudeh, which Sophia pointed out reminds her of her childhood.

It is a way to create ties

Understandably, not all families are in a position where they have the resources - or the mental energy - to collaborate on dance videos or try something new from TikTok content. But the general benefits of such hobbies go further, well, in addition to just "spending time."

"When we are faced with really dark times, we turn to culture to deal with it or find meaning, and also to laugh and connect," said Dr. Jenny Radesky, a pediatrician of behavioral development and a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics, who specializes in the use of media.

In that way, surprises or moments of happiness in TikTok are not simply an escape or a distraction. They are something that people seek to make sense of what is happening around them and feel less alone.

When Radesky hears families dance or collaborate together on the app, he sees the social power of choreography and synchronization working there: generational divisions that come together through a common creative goal.

• LOOK: What you should buy to stay healthy and other rules for quarantine by coronavirus

"This technology is supporting a family's ability to work together, and that's fun, but it also acts as a catalyst to just spend time together," he said.

TikTok Quick Tips

Do you want to make your own trend tradition on TikTok? Download the application and follow these tips:

• Explore the video: click “Like”, comment and inquire in the app to see what other interesting things people are doing
• Use the effects: the recording mode allows you to speed up or slow down your video and add filters or music
• Try a challenge: Videos that are challenges will have tags like #FlipTheSwitch or #YourTurnChallenge. This content will appear on the home page of the applications. When you see something you like, give it a unique twist and record yourself!
• Tag your videos: Remember to tag your videos with related topics, such as challenge tags, so others can find and watch them.

Close the generation gap

It wasn't even Robert Jimison's idea to post a TikTok of his entire family in quarantine doing the #HitEveryBeat challenge for a remix of “Can't Touch This”. The person who came up with it was his mother, who saw a video of Jennifer Lopez doing the challenge and insisted that they try.

Jimison, 27, is a reporter for The New York Times, but traveled to Atlanta to quarantine his coronavirus with his family. He says that these dance breaks are part of the new normal in his home.

“We used to have spontaneous game nights and family dinners. But we have been eating together almost every night and watching television shows. ”

And of course doing TikToks.

• LOOK: The extrovert's guide to social distancing

"My mother saw all her favorite celebrities doing family TikToks and wanted to join the trend," she explained.

It stands to reason that when this period of social isolation is over there will be many, many more adults in the family who know about TikTok compared to when this all started. And that, said Radesky, is another advantage.

"It is a tremendous opportunity for families to develop digital literacy," he said. “Parents can have conversations about what their children like. They can say 'Show me TikToks that are fun', 'Show me YouTube videos' and then listen and ask and have open-minded conversations, ”he added.

This last part is critical because, let's be honest: many older adults will never understand the appeal of TikTok. But when they participate (or at least appreciate it) with an open mind, it makes the experience even more enjoyable.

It's about surviving

TikTok does not ignore the ways in which people use the platform at this time. People who drive trends in the app regularly promote and select popular themes, and the reality of life during the coronavirus is reflected in their current efforts.

The company offers multiple coronavirus resources for users and their families to participate in a positive way. An evening programming series called #HappyAtHome features celebrities and featured creators who share tips, motivations, and ideas. Live educational broadcasts and donation opportunities also appear in the app. In an email sent to CNN, a TikTok spokesperson also highlighted some healthy content at home that has caught the company's attention, such as a routine mother-daughter skincare video and inspiration from a night out. family cinema.

"The TikTok community is supporting each other, caring for each other and shaking hands," wrote TikTok President Alex Zhou in a statement describing the company's efforts against the coronavirus. "This may be a serious moment, but on TikTok it can still be joyous and deeply inspiring," he added,

At this strange moment in history, when so many people are in pain, at risk, isolated, or living in deep uncertainty, any method that works is generally understood to be fine. If it's just about surviving day by day, that's fine. If you barely hold it up, fine.

If it's making silly videos in a music app, that's fine. When the basic rhythms of life are so deeply altered, even the smallest creation may seem like a necessary work of art.

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