Our columnist was all down with the kids when she downloaded TikTok this week. She’s not quite addicted, but those dance routines are certainly a distraction from her week of grumbles!
• SOMEHOW, this week, without any intent, I managed to download TikTok to my phone. Now that may come as a shock to most of you, what with you all thinking I’m ‘down with the cool kids’ etc, but TikTok had been something I had been strangely indifferent to. Note how I said ‘had.’ Here’s how it so innocently happened, and here’s how it all ended up....
So the other morning, a pal sent me a link to something via WhatsApp. The link was from TikTok, and in my haste to view it, I obviously consented to installing the app and the rest, as they say, is history ... and the world of TikTok is most definitely no longer a mystery.
The link was a clip of regular ‘Joes’ doing that dance from the opening credits of The Perfect Couple and my friend’s suggestion was that we learn it for pure gas to impress ... I don’t know, our husbands? (In case they needed any more proof that we’re a bit cracked, easily distracted and that we can’t really dance).
• Anyway, turns out everyone on TikTok is all over this particular trend, so it’s already old news (that’s my excuse for not being able to master the moves and I’m sticking to it), but what I’m absolutely blown away by is how much free time people on this part of the internet seem to have.
On Insta it’s all about a quick ‘outfit of the day’ or a picture of the contents of your fridge (yawn), but here people are committing to dance an entire routine – involving the whole family ... and the dog. Mental!
• Anyway, so I’d say the app had hardly ‘settled in’ on my phone when the eight-year-old somehow copped it. She saw the TikTok logo and her eyes lit up. ‘You got TikTok!’ she said, with more admiration than I’ve felt from her in a while. ‘Great, now search for “catchy dances” and I’ll show you the routines that my friends and I have been doing,’ she squealed.
Several catchy dances later I have to admit ... it’s addictive. There’s tonnes of pure bonkers stuff here (quelle surprise) including another hot trend which involves flipping someone around a full 360 degrees in the air – for no obvious reason, just because. I’d be half tempted to give it a whirl too, but for the sake of my back, and that of whoever is doing the twirling, I’ll pass!
But there’s fun stuff too. So, while I wouldn’t say I’m completely hooked just yet, I’m definitely getting there, which is why, for the sake of productivity, and my last few remaining brain cells, I’ll probably uninstall the app this week. Or next week. But definitely by Mid-Term.
Santas have begun greeting Emma in supermarkets – even before Halloween! (Photo: Shutterstock)
• Right, so was it that crazy full moon (or just my personality) but am I the only one who was like a bag of cats all week?
Everything was driving me mad and, in no particular order, it included a display of chocolate Santas that greeted me in the supermarket (should I start stockpiling or is it too soon? That was a trick question: of course it’s too soon. What’s wrong with you, sure you’d have them eaten before Halloween).
Staying in the supermarket, and next to annoy me was a Halloween plate that said ‘boo’ (why are people still making this crap and who is buying it? Scary.
I didn’t see anything in the circular economy memo that says we need new plates for a new season). Then there was the fact that the schools didn’t close to allow kids enjoy the fab beach weather (a long shot, I know, but a half day would have been lovely), the fact that I exercised and ate well for two whole, long days in a row and the scales didn’t shift (I mean why even bother, pass the crisps!), that I didn’t go to anything on Culture Night and had to make do with watching The Late Late Show (where Patrick Kielty very annoyingly keeps saying ‘folks’) and finally that a dress I bought online, and had high hopes for, arrived and was a massive letdown (let’s just say the vision I had in my mind, and the vision that faced me in the mirror were not aligned), and, here’s the stinger: it cost me money to return it. That one really brought on the rage. Let’s put it all down to the moon ... and move on!
• So the next big thing is Budget 2025 on October 1st, a week early this year. I’m pretty sure it will come and go like it always does without impacting me massively.
There is talk of a €10 monthly rise to the children’s allowance which would be welcome, though, and the €250 energy credit we’re all supposed to get before Christmas would also be gratefully received in this household.
Although having said that, TikTok did teach me how to best arrange clothes on the clothes horse which I’m hoping will save me a fortune this winter. Who knew I was doing it wrong all these years?
Check it out for yourself, just be prepared for lots of distractions en route, and mind your back if you’re brave enough for the upside down challenge!
