Statistics website Statista recently released a report saying that the Internet short video social platform TikTok (Tik Tok overseas version) is being favored by more and more middle-aged and elderly people in Europe and the United States. They publish videos on cooking, fitness, entertainment, etc. on TikTok. , and gained many young fans. The report shows that among the 98 million TikTok users in the United States, there are more and more middle-aged and elderly users. At present, users over the age of 50 account for 7.1% of the total, and users between the ages of 40 and 49 account for 13.9% of the total.

Lynn Davis, 64, who lives in New Jersey, USA, opened a personal account on TikTok not long ago. She updates a video almost every day, focusing on gourmet cooking, and has gained 2.6 million followers in less than half a year. Davis’ food tutorials range from cooking turkey, steak, and other big meals to desserts like milkshakes, snacks, and more. Davis and her 23-year-old son Tim spend hours creating videos every day. In addition to detailing the food production steps, they also add a lot of special effects to the videos, making the videos technical and interesting. Get more than 200,000 likes.

In March 2020, the Westhill Park Aged Care Center in the United Kingdom opened an account on TikTok, showing the residents of the nursing home dancing together, doing aerobics and other activities through videos. Each issue has hundreds of thousands of views. A netizen left a message and said: “This fully shows that the fun of life will not stop due to age. I hope that my life when I grow old can be as fulfilling as theirs.”

German Erika Rischko is an 80-year-old fitness enthusiast who regularly posts videos of herself doing planks and dancing with her 81-year-old husband on TikTok, with more than 81,000 followers. In one video, she does a plank for eight minutes to the rhythm of a popular song.

According to US media, the elderly in European and American countries have found that they can communicate and interact with young people through TikTok, overcome loneliness and gain joy. Donna Davis, an associate professor at the University of Oregon, said TikTok and other social media allow users to understand the views of different age groups. “What’s different about TikTok is that generations are educating and connecting with each other in really fun and creative ways.”

A report from the American Association of Retired Persons believes that compared with other social media, TikTok’s biggest feature is its openness. Various short videos such as food, fitness, travel, photography, etc. can be posted on it and get the attention and likes of strangers. . This largely meets the social needs of the elderly. Although the main target users of TikTok at first were young people, more and more elderly users in Europe and the United States have begun to show their lives on this platform and interact with people of all ages.