Why Tiktok is the New Book Club

For decades, moms have found respite by coming together once a week for community, laughs, and of course…wine. Sometimes there might even be a book involved! Book club served as an escape. Where nobody needed tending, you could laugh about all the various responsibilities that come along with raising tiny humans, and soak up the sweet sweet comfort and understanding from women who know exactly how you feel…

Cue covid. It's no secret that this seemingly never-ending pandemic has taken an astronomical toll on moms. In one year, women lost $800 billion globally in income due to COVID-19. Leaving us with not only a hole in our wallets, but cooking, cleaning, and poorly manufactured homeschooling left us without the time and ability to get our friend fix.

During the pandemic, Tiktok's usage went up by 180% because people were looking for connection and a lot of us found it on this app. I started to see these moms pop up on my feed and they would talk about losing their minds with their kids home, their daily routines, and turned the chaos of our world into humorous antidotes.

Women started to recognize themselves in these creators. We'd see them drinking coffee in their kitchens, their kids running by in a video, and hiding in their car to get a moment of quiet. I started anticipating new videos on my feed like a new episode of Big Little Lies. But unlike a saucy HBO series, we were actually able to engage with them. A like or emoji became a quick hug and wave from the school drop-off line. The comment section became the reaffirming eye roll or sarcastic remark from your friend. We were brought in and seen in a way that hadn't been done before. Tiktok became the new meeting spot. We could even bring a glass of wine to a live stream and talk about the same things we would in person, sometimes in a more honest and authentic way.

I often hear from older generations how social media is ruining our society, or making us depressed. And in most cases, I have to disagree. I've gotten to know women on TikTok that have become my friends IRL that I never would have met otherwise.

I found like-minded creators to come together for projects that expand their voice to make more people feel less alone. Instead of organizing schedules and finding a sitter to meet up with a few friends for weekly book club, now we have the ability to get together whenever we want! So, pull up a comfy chair, your drink of choice, and join the new book club.

I'll see you there!

In need of some virtual camaraderie? Follow these women…

@Lotsamiles - “Ambivert. Runner. Coffee. True Crime. Mom.”

@solianasapp - “All the coffee. All the chocolate. And usually in my robe.”

@savyjane - “Mother of Miracles and writing a book about it”