I know. I know.

I’m too old. I shouldn’t care about these trendy apps that the kiddos are obsessed with, but I am.

Y’all. I love TikTok.

Now, as I type this, I feel it’s SUPER important to stress that I have used it long enough that the algorithm mostly gets me.

I’m interested in the following categories:

• Dog TikToks
  • Y’all. I love all the cute dog-o posts on TikTok.
  • We don’t deserve dogs. It’s really that simple.
• Cleaning TikToks
  • I received an O’Cedar mop for my birthday. I have yet to use it due to an incredibly busy September and October, but I plan to bust that bad boy out this weekend and take care of business.
• Recipe TikToks
  • I have never been more in awe of my air fryer and that’s all thanks to TikTok! I’ve made amazing salmon, roasted veggies, pork chops, and even a peanut butter and jelly sandwich in that thing.
• Make-Up/Skin Care TikToks
  • Y’all. I’m obsessed. While I can, in no way, recreate these amazing faces of contoured glory, I can find out about products for maturing skin* and learn of tips/techniques for applying said products.
  • On that note, I’m going to need ELF cosmetics to get their Halo Glow Liquid Filter‘s back in stores or on their website. All the lightest shades (hello Irish skin) are completely sold out and impossible to find. I haven’t used it yet, but the reviews are making me wanting to try it so badly!
• Teacher/Counselor TikToks
  • I have a true love/hate with this one.
  • Some of the content is really, really helpful and makes me feel a huge surge of camaraderie with educators all across the country. We’re trying our best. We love our kids. It’s just a hard calling.
  • Some of the content is really, really UNhelpful. Seeing people brag about leaving the “positive toxicity” and go to the corporate world and make crazy money.
    • First of all, no shade and no judgement. Burnout is REAL. The lack of competitive pay is real. The lack of actual “worth” pay is real. If someone finds a new career that fulfills them in ways education didn’t, that’s wonderful.
    • But… it’s also like a hit in the gut that our work isn’t valuable and that all educational environments are super negative. No work place is perfect, but my school has great people. We’re real. The only “toxic positivity” isn’t all that toxic — it’s just people trying to do the best they can on days where they don’t really feel their best.

I’m sure there are a few other “hits” that I love on TikTok, but the algorithm really gets me and I’m not ashamed that I’m somewhat obsessed with all the great info out there. Much like most technology, how we use it is how it has power. I use mine for education and, after all, education is power. Mic drop, am I right?

*I’m 40 and this whole maturing skin thing is REAL. My under eye skin is growing crepe-ier by the day. I need a good esthetician, y’all.