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Whenever a new social media platform emerges and grows in popularity, it can be easy to feel a bit lost (we’re not just talking about Baby Boomers here, Millennials are being called out on TikTok for their love of skinny jeans and side partings for… reasons we don’t quite understand), but on TikTok, there really is something for everyone.
In this day and age, where we’re more time-poor than ever before, the app scratches an entertainment and attention itch for 15 seconds, or up to 60 seconds if multiple clips are used.
While it’s most known for challenges involving complex choreography and skits that feature certain songs or dialogue, TikTok is also a hub of interesting, insightful and useful stuff. That’s right, you can actually LEARN STUFF without breaking something while attempting the #YummyDanceChallenge.
Here are the educational and funny TikTok creators, as well as the ones hosting life hacks and career advice, that you need to follow now.
1. @dr.karanr
Ever fancied having a doctor in your pocket? The NHS surgeon and honorary clinical lecturer at the University of Sunderland is here to debunk myths and inform you of the cold, hard facts, including the ideal times of day to have caffeine.
Follow him here.
2. @notoriouscree
James Jones is a young indigenous man from the Cree tribe who shares information about Native American culture and customs, proving why representation matters. He dances in his regalia, explains Cree teachings, as well as why he keeps his hair long, and tells you what you should never say to an indigenous person.
Follow him here.
3. @miss.excel
Kat makes “Excel fun to save you time” in her quick and short videos, like how to make a rainbow spreadsheet, that she dances along to. Look out for her song choices too, as they all cleverly match her subject matter. Tyga’s “Too Many” for her tutorial on removing duplicates? Genius.
Follow her here.
4. @mackenziebarmen
We’re not sure what impresses us more about Mackenzie Barmen – her extensive knowledge of nursery rhymes or her ability to cry at the drop of a hat! If you don’t feel like having your childhood ruined, maybe don’t check out her page, but the dark backstory behind everything from “Ring Around The Rosie” to “The Muffin Man” is too good to not dig into. We still get chills every time she says, “Do you know what you’re singing about?”
Follow her here.
5. @embodyhealthldn
These “dancing dieticians” promote a healthy relationship with your body, self-image and food as they package their content into easy-to-digest segments. Whether you’re constantly thinking about food, or comparing yourself to fitness and nutrition influencers, they provide helpful reminders on how to be healthy and love yourself, no matter your size or shape.
Follow them here.
6. @laetitiaky
Laetitia Ky is an artist from Cote d’Ivoire who creates stunning hair sculptures, either just for fun (zodiac signs) or to convey a message, whether it’s feminist or political. She told Insider she uses her platform to promote African and Black pride, and wants to “help people [to] not be afraid to express themselves”. She’s also collaborated with Marc Jacobs to promote the brand’s handbags, all while styling her hair to spell MJ, as a hand to hold the bag and as a dog to sit inside one of them.
As you check out Laetitia’s jaw-dropping designs, make sure to do your research on the history of braids. They’re a special part of African culture that date way back and can relate to a person’s tribe, marital status, religion and more, as well as act as a symbol of social art or be used as protective styling.
Follow her here.
7. @this.tourettes.guy
Glen Cooney, who has ADHD and Tourette’s syndrome, documents his life experiences to raise awareness. While watching him bake cookies and pancakes with his kids is fun (and messy) to watch, the more serious content helps to reduce stigma as he responds to questions and candidly speaks about the impact on his everyday life.
Follow him here.
8. @alexisnikole
We simply cannot stop watching Alexis Nikole’s videos of her foraging for food and then making unique and tasty vegan recipes, like acorn jelly, magnolia cookies and mushroom jerky. Not only does she have a voice we love to listen to, but her enthusiasm for what she does is infectious and inspired. She is ridiculously knowledgeable about her finds and also shares tips for how to identify things that belong on what she calls the “tummy no-no list”, and how to spore print a mushroom (so you don’t die).
Follow her here.
9. @kathdoestiktok
We genuinely cannot get over how good these videos are, where Kath absolutely kills it on the recorder and delivers the most delightful facial expressions for the most unexpected joy you could possibly experience. When she busts out that big recorder, you know she means business. After a request to do Alanis Morissette’s “You Oughta Know”, she didn’t disappoint.
Follow her here.
10. @brittany_broski
You probably know her as “kombucha girl”, where a video of her trying the drink for the first time spawned hundreds of memes. When Brittany went viral, she was actually fired from her banking job after telling her boss, so she packed up and moved to LA and has been entertaining us ever since, like with her reaction to watching Disney Pixar’s Soul.
Follow her here.
11. @lukemillingtondrake
We’re not entirely sure how Luke Millington-Drake can look and act like Jude Law, Hugh Grant and Keira Knightley simultaneously, but he pulls it off with floppy-haired, jaw-jutting perfection. His Love Actually scene recreations truly make it feel like Christmas has come early.
Follow him here.
12. @jeremylynch
The freestyle footballer not only shows off his skills (we love this video where the football is actually a cake), he also puts a lot of thought into his funny skits, like his series where he tries to catch Toy Story’s Woody and Buzz in action.
Follow him here.
13. @austyn_farrell
If Austyn’s videos of him putting on a leggy display, dancing and lip-syncing to Dolly Parton, Christina Aguilera, Beyoncé and Tina Turner (Quarantina Turner, we should say) don’t give you a boost, nothing will.
Follow him here.
14. @kristinalburn
Apparently we’ve been straining our pasta completely wrong the whole time and have been clueless about how to fold a blanket properly so it doesn’t come undone. Luckily Kristina sets us straight and serves up some delicious-looking food as well.
Follow her here.
15. @crunchynut84
Did you know that inside the cap of a Nutella jar there’s a little knife to open the golden seal? Neither did we… until now. We’re not sure if this is just an Australian thing, so we’re going to have to try this out for ourselves. Get ready to dive in to a lot of Nutella content, as well as discover a hack for how to get your kids to eat eggs.
Follow him here.
16. @hannahwarling
Where has Hannah Warling been hiding our whole life? The “CEO of style hacks” has an answer for all wardrobe dilemmas, like how to stop your cropped jumper from falling out of your jeans, and she also posts her own outfits of the day and hair tutorials. With steps quite literally as easy as 1, 2, 3, learn how to get ready in a jiffy.
Follow her here.
17. @kaansanity
With iPhone tricks aplenty, advice for students and just general shortcuts to make life easier, this handy account covers all the bases. Our favourite? This one on how to unblur anything online, which feels particularly naughty and satisfying. We are merely grasshoppers, teach us master!
Follow him here.
18. @acleanbee
If ever there was a shortage of something on shop shelves, we’d all flock to this account, which boasts sustainable cleaning tips and easy at-home solutions for getting things nice and sparkly. We’ll also soon have the neighbours putting orders in for these reusable disinfecting hand and cleaning wipes (made out of a t-shirt). We should also apparently be cleaning our phone case at least once a week…
Follow her here.
19. @selfmademillennial
Does what you wear during a video interview for your next potential job really matter? YES, according to HR pro Madeline Mann. Although TikTok might not seem like the first place you would turn to for career help, it’s been a lifeline for a lot of people out of work during these unprecedented times. How to answer tricky interview questions and how to achieve a healthy work-life balance are all just a click away.
Follow her here.
20. @j.t.odonnell
JT O’Donnell has nearly 20 years of experience as a career coach, so the fact she’s dishing out her sage advice (like what to do when a recruiter ghosts you) on TikTok for free is something definitely worth taking advantage of.
Follow her here.
21. @icathryn
Former tech executive Cathryn Patterson describes herself as “America’s favourite career mom”. Her no-nonsense answers to questions you probably wouldn’t want to ask your boss, like “What’s the quickest way to get a raise?”, make you feel as though someone is really looking out for you.
Follow her here.
22. @youknowitjulian
Julian Parra is only in his early-20s, yet his words of wisdom transcend his age. He told The New York Times that there’s a desire for this type of content because “maybe people just want a quick video to get the information that they need in the most easy-to-consume way”. His role-playing videos, where he acts as both interviewer and interviewee, like in this video on how to answer a question about difficult people at work during a job interview, are particularly useful – take notes!
Follow him here.
23. @alexashoen
What’s really nice about TikTok is that a lot of the content out there is positive and uplifting – handy for those stuck thinking they’re going to be looking for a job foreverrr. Alexa Shoen, author of #ENTRYLEVELBOSS: How To Get Any Job You Want, is here to pick you up and give you some words of encouragement, as well as help aid your search. She also has a brilliant solution to that age-old problem of how you can get experience when you don’t have experience, but you need experience to get experience.
Follow her here.
