#TellMeWithoutTellingMe

Throughout 2021, TikTok users got a kick out of all of the fun trends emerging on the app. While most only remained popular for a brief amount of time, there was one trend that lasted much longer, allowing everyone a chance to engage; the #TellMeWithoutTellingMe challenges. 

The “Tell Me Without Telling Me” challenge is simple, social media users ask others to share their opinions and interests on a certain topic without directly answering their question. This trend has appeared on several social media platforms, but I believe it was the most enjoyable on TikTok. Users would post a video asking their question, and then “answer” it themselves. Others who wanted to participate would then use the stitch feature to “answer” the prompt in their own unique way. 

The best thing about this entertaining trend is how diverse it is. No matter what you’re interested in, there is always a video out there for you to engage with. This trend allows everyone to not only feel included but also to find and connect with other users who share their same interests.

Most videos that follow this trend relate to a certain community or fandom. For example, someone might ask their audience “tell me you love Marvel movies without telling me you love Marvel movies.” This makes it easy for fans to find each other on the app and share their opinions. This trend has also allowed users to create inside jokes about their favorite things, once again creating a sense of community and inclusion.

As of January 2021, the #TellMeWithoutTellingMe hashtag on TikTok has a total of 1.8 billion views. TikTok, Twitter, and other social media users still continue to ask new questions, and everyone still loves answering them in amusing ways. Even some companies have joined in on the fun on Twitter, promoting their products in an enjoyable way. By the sheer amount of involvement with this trend during 2021, we can safely say that this was the best trend of the year.