Tiktok’s latest trend is people dancing to toxic voicemails from their exes

TikTok, the popular short-form mobile video app owned by Chinese firm ByteDance, has been under fire for various reasons in Asia. But controversial trends aside, the app has tried to clean up its social media image with learning and development programmes like #EduTok.

Now however the app is in the limelight for a different reason. Few days ago, this happened.

TikTok user @trapmoneybella posted a video titled “Day 1 of dancing to voicemails from my cheating ex boyfriend.” This was followed up by another similar visual snippet. What followed was a barrage of support from other individuals, who were experiencing similar situations in life. Besides the outpouring of kind words, several other TikTok users also followed suit by calling out their exes on abusive behaviour.

Some dancers, mentioned that this is a form of protest. Others claimed it’s therapeutic. Another user (@tenleyearles) turned to choreography as well. She did so by grooving to an audio clip of her ex “yelling at me for wearing leggings to school.”

The real reason why its gaining attention is because the very users are also positing videos about spotting ‘red flags’ in relationships—getting a restraining order, protecting themselves with pepper spray, dealing with control freaks, and so on. Others have been posting Twitter threads on calling out people for their sexist behaviour.

What started as yet another ‘Dancing too meme’...is now turning into a cathartic social experiment.
 

Watched one of these where the girl dances to a recording of her abusive ex screaming at her because she wore leggings to school. Her next four videos were follow-ups advising other girls how to spot red flags. Truly awe-inspiring. https://t.co/PvoYIe0mYU

— spooky maloney (@dynamofire) October 17, 2019