Harry Potter TikTok: the new obsession sweeping the feeds of millions of TikTok users across the world. If you haven’t yet come across this side of TikTok then I will admit, that’s probably for the best as things can get a little…. weird.
However, this new obsession has become so popular that actor Tom Felton himself (who played Draco Malfoy) has addressed the resurgence of love for his character in particular on Instagram lives and in a TikTok of his own.
What does Harry Potter TikTok entail, you ask (nervously)? Well, it is as it sounds. People from all over the globe make content focusing on the Harry Potter movies and their love for the world and the characters within it.
Creators have conjured point-of-view videos wherein you are the main character in montages of clips from the films. They have even gone about incorporating the Hogwarts houses into their own fashion styles to highlight what they would wear in a day of the life of a Hogwarts’s student.
This TikTok trend is a nostalgic throwback, providing happy memories of watching the films or reading the books for the first time. However, for others this trend can be strange, especially when adults are pretending to be in a love triangle with the Weasley twins.
As strange as this trend may be, it represents just how strange a time we live in. We are in the middle of a global pandemic. The corona virus has exploded like a volcano, and the lava it spewed has seeped its way into all aspects of our lives.
Holidays cancelled, birthdays lost and proper nights out are a thing of the past. But most importantly and devastatingly, lives have been lost. There is irreparable damage that has been caused by this virus.
For many people, thinking about the state of the world today is enough to overwhelm them with negative emotion. It forces them to crawl back into bed, pull the covers over their head and stay huddled in a ball of duvet warmth until the whole thing blows over.
That’s normal. I think everyone at some point during this year has felt as though the world was just not on their side and that hopping on a plane to a Greek island– Donna Sheridan style– would be their best bet. But we can’t travel.
Nevertheless, people have found another way to travel, another way to escape the dullness of life right now: through their imaginations. Harry Potter Tiktok is a prime example of how people are using their imaginations as an escape from the constant noise of the corona virus.
It’s certainly one way of explaining the film’s sudden bounce back to popularity. People just feel better when they are pretending– or watching people pretend– to be in a completely fictional world. A fictional world that they have grown up with and have enjoyed returning to by screen or by page throughout their lives.
There is a warmth that comes with re-reading, re-watching, or reminiscing your favourites. Whether it’s Harry Potter, Marvel films, or a T.V. series you love such as Brooklyn Nine-Nine or The Office.
Lockdown may have been a struggle, but it has been useful in highlighting just how important books, films, T.V. shows and content filled fun apps, such as TikTok, really are.
There are no limits as to where our imaginations can take us. Creative apps such as TikTok help influence this even further. Travelling to the world of Hogwarts has become a trend because people love the characters. They love the content, and they love being transported anywhere that isn’t their current state.
Is there something sad about that? Some may say yes. But really, who can blame them? Who hasn’t wished they lived in their favourite works of fiction, even if only as a child? It would be a fair assumption to make that most people would take a day in the life of Harry Potter or Hermione Granger over another day of lockdown.
So, if Harry Potter TikTok to you is just another thing to add to the long list of strangeness 2020 has brought, then that’s fine. If it’s your new escapism or new obsession, then that’s fine too. There is a reason millions of people everywhere are jumping on the trend. At the end of the day, at least your escapism from the world’s negativity isn’t drugs, drinking all day, every day, or other extreme activities.
Although, if you’re going to get through Harry Potter TikTok for the first time, maybe don’t be too quick to rule out that whole drinking thing; I recommend something strong.
Featured image credit: liverpoolecho.co.uk
English Studies student at the University of Stirling.
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