What is TikTok’s kissing trend? Users go viral kissing their best friend
Unsplash: Omesh HiraniTikTok users are garnering millions of likes and views for participating in a challenge that involves them kissing their best friend — here’s everything you need to know about it.
Short-form video platform TikTok has seen a huge range of trends over the years, with some of them harmless, and others a little risky.
Users often go viral for participating in these trends, and one that has been popping up on the app intermittently for a while now is the kissing trend.
The kissing trend is a challenge that involves someone kissing their best friend on camera, often without prior warning, to see how they react.
Reactions of the other party have ranged from shock to happiness, and it’s often the cutest reactions that end up garnering millions of views and likes.
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“The fact that he leaned in afterward when you both laughed is a GOOD SIGN,” one commenter wrote on a popular video from the ‘kissyourfriend’ account. “Omg! What happened next?” another wrote.
The trend has seen a surge in popularity throughout 2022, but videos participating in the challenge went viral as far back as 2020, so it looks like one that’s going to stick around for a while.
However, the ‘kissing your best friend challenge’ has also received a substantial amount of backlash from viewers who are concerned about the issue of consent when it comes to trends like these.
In addition, another form of the challenge is circulating in which two female best friends will post an image or video of them kissing, prompting criticism from people claiming that participants are just “seeking male validation.”
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“Let’s not make people’s sexuality a trend, j a thought,” said one comment on a video participating in the trend. “This trend is not it y’all,” read another.
However, it looks like this controversial trend will keep popping up on the platform as the months go by, despite the pushback.
There’s no predicting which big thing could blow up on TikTok next, with trends from 2022 so far consisting of anything from a viral broccoli ‘hack’ to an affordable yet stylish Steve Madden bag.