From creating magazine covers to taking Halloween photos dressed as ghosts, UNC students are solving pandemic boredom by participating in TikTok photoshoot trends.
Although many trends emerged in the popular video app throughout 2020, some of the most popular have formed as users deal with physical distancing — giving them an opportunity to take their minds off the pandemic.
One trend that recently gained popularity across the app is the wig trend. Inspired by three girls who wear candy-colored wigs and go by @badwiggies, #wigtrend has more than 4 million views.
Haya Al-Qaq, a junior business administration student who goes by @hayaitshaya on TikTok, participated in the wig trend. Her version of the trend shows her lip-syncing to “Pound the Alarm” by Nicki Minaj while wearing a bright blue wig.
She said the trend is about having fun and expressing yourself, even while social distancing.
“With COVID, there are a lot of limits on what we can do,” Al-Qaq said. “People have to think outside of the box and learn how to have fun in their own way.”
The wig trend isn’t the only TikTok challenge that has gained popularity during the pandemic. Another trend, the Vogue Cover Challenge, involves users placing photographs of themselves on the cover of a Vogue magazine. The matching hashtag, #voguechallenge, currently has 1.1 billion views.
Lindsey Lanier, a senior biology student who goes by @trackstarlindz on TikTok, participated in the Vogue trend by using her UNC track photos.
She said that she wanted to take the challenge and put her own twist on it.
