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TikTok is infamous for housing many worldwide trends that sweep the nation’s youth, unfortunately being negative most of the time. These sorts of trends are the ones that often make the news, reaching the ears of older generations or those who aren’t active on the social media app, further pushing the idea that it’s a powerhouse of bad influences and harmful ideas. Just to name a few, the blackout challenge actually killed a few kids, and the silhouette challenge was adopted by young children that exposed their bodies to creepy pedophiles online. Not to mention the viral videos that don’t technically count as trends but inspired people nonetheless. Such as the Gorilla Glue lady and the woman who licked a tub of ice cream in a store and put it back during the height of COVID-19 and quarantine.
However, Demi Lovato’s new song off of their newest album, “Holy Fvck,” titled “29” is proving that there are some TikTok trends that could be positive. This new trend has inspired a wave of people who are in different stages of working their way through trauma. Most videos using the audio will show pictures of a much younger OP with their groomer, going along with the lyrics to the song, exposing their age and their groomer’s, with some shockingly disturbing age gaps and facts. Many people get emotional during their videos and often make follow-up TikToks further explaining their situations and, unfortunately, have to defend themselves from online trolls who are prone to victim blaming.
Demi herself is making headlines, with many people assuming that they are referring to their ex-boyfriend, Wilmer Valderrama. He was, in fact, 29 years old compared to Demi’s 17 when they began publicly dating, referencing a direct line from the song.
People participating in the trend are using it as a way to heal, and you can often find heartbreaking yet heartwarming comments under these videos with those who relate but do not want to make a video themselves. Hundreds of thousands of TikTok users have commented on the trend, praising Demi for the song and its raw lyrics as well as those making videos to the song, showing their bravery and ability to stand up for themselves.
Grooming is not a new phenomenon, nor is it another way of showing how our generation is “soft,” as a few trolls have stated. The sad truth is that grooming has always been around and will likely always be around. But songs like Lovato’s “29” could be a stepping stone to victims all over the world, allowing them to gather their courage and speak up about their experiences, as well as some warning signs that young kids might not recognize until it’s too late.
I myself have had experiences with grooming. When I was just 14, I got the popular social media app Snapchat, and a random person added me and started talking to me. I was young and naive, and I liked the attention. I didn’t even mind that he was 23 — nine years my senior. He would ask me where I lived, what school I went to, and even more provocative things that I was uncomfortable answering. It wasn’t until he sent an entire story about a possible meet-up we could have, going into detail about how he would kiss me and do other things to me, that I realized this was weird. I asked an older friend, who immediately shut it down and blocked him. I never heard from him again, and I am thankful. I could not be more grateful for that friend and that I never told him any personal information or sent him any photos that he asked for. I am lucky that I had a support system. Many people don’t have that.
It doesn’t just happen to young women either; grooming is very prominent in the LGBTQ+ community, something that several TikToks stressed. Any and everyone can be groomed, but with trends like these and educated people guiding the new generation, we can help lessen the effects of pedophiles and groomers, keeping our children safe so they don’t have to go through what we did.