TikTok is home to some of the most popular content creators of our time. It’s the social media app people flock to when looking to waste three hours of their day, infinitely scrolling through video after video. In all fairness, there is a lot of fun to be found on TikTok, from questionable theories to the more typical dance trends the platform first became known for.
The app’s algorithm is ever-evolving, and so are its users, frequently jumping from viral trend to viral trend in a matter of a few weeks, at most. Right now, one of the most popular fads online is the “My Mom Told Me to Just Be Myself” trend. The whole thing started with a TikTok video created by user @siredariess, to the sound of Rowley Jefferson from Diary of a Wimpy Kid, saying, “My mom told me to just be myself and people would like me.” The video is then followed by clips of the character doing just that, being himself. Currently, the video has over 4.2m views and more than 912.7k likes.
TikTok users took a liking to the idea and soon started doing the same — posting clips that showcase them being themselves set to Rowley’s words. Typically, the clips include the creator doing something funny, like dancing in a weird fashion or wearing a fake mustache for no obvious reason.
As always, animals also need their time to shine, which led some TikTok users to include their pets in the trend by uploading videos of them being silly. Winnie (@winniethecattledog), for example, seems to adorably struggle with puppy life, falling backward and not quite managing to land his jumps. This video has been watched over 728.2k times.
While at first glance, this might seem like a trend for everyone, some folks simply don’t have footage of themselves from their daily lives, be it because their friend group just doesn’t take videos of them, or because they’re usually the ones filming others’ funniest moments. Wanting to jump in on this trend regardless, these people opted to comment on their disappointing lack of silly clips (while jokingly complaining about their friends). Many viewers seem to relate to this.
Among the plethora of content that can be found on TikTok, the “My Mom Told Me to Just Be Myself” trend is one of the better and most harmless ones, encouraging people to embrace their own silliness and showcase it to the world.