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ivyglow · 4 years ago

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I don’t want you like a best friend - Andre Burakovsky

A/n: Sooo, I wrote this as some kind of gift to my best friend because she loves Andre and she was trying to get me on his train (I guess she did?). She’s always hitting me with “no but you should definitely write about Tito/Andre”. Here’s your piece @skarsgardswiftie I hope you like it! <3 I love you sm Also, a huge shout out to @sebs-aston for proofreading this with such an attentive eye! You’re amazing, liv!

Requested: yes / no

Word count: 1.9k

Warnings: brief mention of alcohol

Summary: you’re friends with Andre, but things are about to change after you create a TikTok account and start doing challenges that may lead to news between you and your favorite hockey player.

When it comes to capturing a moment you’re usually the person your friends think about, not simply because you’re always carrying a camera -mainly because of it-, but because you’re great with what you do -either photos or videos-. That’s also why your Instagram profile has more followers than an ordinary girl would and it’s the only place people can find you -besides e-mail-. However, that changed when your best friend -Callie- convinced you to create a TikTok account. You, of course, hated it, but she had the perfect opportunity -you were a bit tipsy, all your friends around, sunny weekend and so it goes.

“Mikko, do you think I’m pretty?” You direct the camera to his face while looking expectantly.

Saturday evening rolled around, the hot weather forcing your friends either to the inside of the pool or under the sunshade and their hands busy with cold drinks. It was a happy day, everyone was around, and you were enjoying the vacation. You had met half of the Hockey team as soon as you moved to Colorado and Erik, your and your brother’s hometown best friend decided you needed to know his crew and the city around. Six months later and you knew pretty much everyone and everything.

“Of course I think you’re pretty” he gives you a confused look before you turn to Tyson giggling.

“Josty, do you think I’m pretty?” you ask and he looks straight at the camera “I would give you 5 out of 10 cause you’re bro.”

You laugh and turn to Andre this time.

“Andre, do you think I’m pretty?”

He seems taken aback by the question and unlike Tyson, he stares at you. “Of course you’re pretty.”

You keep to your task and last but not least is Nathan, he’s sitting at a table while working on some drinks and you take him by surprise by jumping in front of him. “Mac, do you think I’m pretty?”

He rolls his eyes playfully and turns his attention to you for some seconds before looking at his drink again, “I would one hundred percent date you if you were not my sisters’ best friend”

And then your time is over.

“So you’re a tiktoker now?” Erik sits beside you and Nathan just as you uploaded the video. He raises his eyebrows and you roll your eyes lightly, “you know I hate TikTok, but it’s fun, so…”

“She’s gonna end up famous there too”, Andre announces leaning his body on the table and motioning for Nathan to refill his drink. Your eyes roam on his big hands grasping the red cup, his cheeks red from the sun, and the way you could see his dimples when he smiled at you, his hair messy in a cute way.

“Why do you think that?” now he has three pairs of curious eyes staring at him.

You almost chuckled when his point finger scratched his chin. His skin glowing, “I mean, you’re funny and cute…cute girls get famous on TikTok” he reasoned.

“Is this your best, Burki?” Erik asks and for the way his lips were tight against each other you knew he wanted to laugh.

“C’mon, let them be,” Nathan said after giving the blond American a new cup, and before you could ask what was the matter Callie was calling you at the door.

Your best friend started a rant about how she was going to get Chinese take-out for dinner and when you told her she should get Thai too -because it was Andre’s favorite- she started another rant about how you should tell him you’re in love and how it was cute the way you two functioned but also annoying. All you could do was savor your drink and mentally play a Taylor Swift song while she went on, “I mean it, y/n! Just tell him already…”

“Have you seen Andre?!” you whisper-scream to her and Callie sights rolling her eyes, “what about him?”

Swallowing the last sip of your drink you start to draw doodles on the glass with your fingers, “I’m just y/n, he’s Andre Burakovsky”. You usually were not insecure about your looks, but it was Andre, and the fact that he was a famous and good-looking hockey player made you question how in heavens he would like you back. Hell, you were not even sure how you two ended up in such a close friendship, he always being so affectionate and listening to everything you had to say. Your friendship seemed like the most you could take from the interaction. You knew he was ‘just Andre’ too when all your friends were gathered, but being ‘just Andre’ was as amazing as being Andre Burakovsky the hockey player.

“You’re the prettiest girl I’ve ever met, y/n, and I don’t mean considering only your looks, but everything. You’re funny, smart, and always so attentive with everyone, you listen to everything and always have nice things to say, don’t you ever doubt your value, you hear me?” Callie’s words make you sit up straight in the stall and your eyes water.

“In my defense, this is not me crying, this is tipsy me having an emotional moment”, you joke and it’s seconds before the two of you are laughing the way you used to during a John Mulaney show.

…

It was night when you unlocked your phone only to find a bunch of notifications from TikTok, some of the comments from fans about how happy the boys seemed, but most were about the way Andre looked at you when you asked the question. According to the most liked comment “this is clearly a friends to lovers, mutual pining, unaware love and slow-burn situation” which made you giggle but also replay the video a dozen times trying to figure out if there was really something there and you were the unaware one.

Needless to say, you weren’t able to reach a conclusion, but it felt different when you excused yourself to take a shower after spilling wine in your shirt and you felt Andre’s eyes on you all the way to the stairs. His hands on your shoulders felt heavier and the way he was attentive whenever you needed a refill or wanted a bite of food seemed more intimate and caring than ever.

Hitting the shuffle button, you chose your Taylor Swift playlist before entering the shower. The cold water cooled you off a bit, it was almost like washing out part of the alcohol in your system, but your tipsy mind kept finding evidence that Andre liked you back.

You went through your clothes finding a floral summer dress and sipping on your wine while brushing your hair. Your body was still feeling hot and at this point, you didn’t know if it was from the sun on your face or the alcohol in your system, but when you heard the first notes of “Dress” playing you knew you were going to do something stupid, especially because your cell phone was one arm away. If someone asked you where the idea came from you wouldn’t know what to answer, and usually thinking about how you didn’t have an answer was enough to make you give up on some stupid ideas...not this one though.

Reaching for your phone you unlocked it and walked to the body-length mirror in the room you were sharing with Callie. It took less than 2 minutes to snap a picture and send it to him and it took him less than 1 minute to answer it.

‘Woah’

‘You liked it?’ you sent back

‘Yeah, you’re looking good, cutie’ he answered just as fast, before sending a red heart emoji.

‘I don’t want you like a friend’

‘and I only bought this dress so you could take it off’

It was the exact line Taylor was singing when you reached the send button. You saw the dots appearing and disappearing and your body sobered up even more than before.

“Fuck!” you almost voiced. How would he look at you after this? Could you pretend you confused him with someone else? Of course not, he was the only Andre you knew! And everyone knew better you were not the bold flirty type.

That was it, your secret was spilled just like your wine on your shirt earlier, but now you wouldn’t be able to clean off the stain.

Would he believe it if you told him it was a prank to your new TikTok account?

You were lost in your thoughts before three knocks on your door startled you. And there he was when you pushed the door open. Standing with his hands inside his pockets and his hair still messy, he stared at you. It took maybe five minutes before he spoke, but it felt like an eternity considering his intense eyes studying you.

“You’re looking even better this close” for some reason his voice is low like he didn’t want anyone to hear and pop the bubble of the moment.

You feel your body getting hotter, pretty sure your face is turning even redder, so you reach your hands to both of your cheeks. That gets a giggle out of Andre and you instantly move them to your back, your eyes now staring at his bare feet.

All you wanted to do was bury yourself on a rabbit hole until Andre lost his memory, or you lost yours. You were thinking about the possibility of a secret society -Alice in Wonderland style- inside the rabbit hole that you could live in forever when Burki extended his hand, his palm facing you, silently asking you to put your hand in his. So you did. And it was only a blink of an eye before his body was closer, almost touching yours.

“You’re not that drunk, are you?” he questioned.

You shook your head no and he moved his hand to your waist as a message that maybe -and only maybe- he wanted to be close too. So you moved your right one to his large shoulders.

“I’m glad you’re not drunk…”

“I’m just a bit hot and bothered” and dying out of shame! You screamed inside your head.

“Oh sure you are”, he replied with a small smile playing at the corner of his pink lips. Your brows raised in confusion and before you could ask, he answered, “hot. You’re hot”.

“Does it mean you’re gonna take my dress off?” you have no idea when you got so bold, but Andre seemed amused with everything.

“No, not tonight. You’re not drunk, but you’re a bit tipsy, I don’t want to start things like this” his fingers are in your cheekbone and you lean into him. “I’m gonna kiss you though, can I?”

His lips, so different from his hands, were soft and hot. They found yours timidly, exploring the space while his body welcomed yours closer, he took his time before his fingers were in your hair and his tongue caught your lips.

It felt good.

Like never before.

For some seconds you wished to be able to capture the moment and save it forever. Repeat it in your head every day.

Andre played with the strings of your dress, slipping it off your shoulders and you got into your tiptoes to peck his lips one last time.

“So...I take you really liked the dress?”

“I actually like you, the dress is a bonus” he shrugs and you giggle before finding yourself wrapped in another kiss.

#andre burakovsky #andre burakovsky imagine #Colorado Avalanche #hockey imagine #mels writing #nathan mackinnon #tyson jost #erik johnson

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kalee60 · 4 years ago

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Kalee. Kal. Hi. Hello.

So I recently got a Tiktok because all the kids these days are doing it and my sister keeps sending me videos 🤦🏼‍♀️🙄 I know.

Anyways

There’s apparently this challenge.

Kalee.

It’s a kiss your best friend challenge.

And all I can think is:

Steve and Bucky.

It could be canon verse. It could be an au.

But like imagine. If you haven’t seen the videos it’s super cute but also cringy because like what if it doesn’t go over well, it would be awkwardddd! They basically just film themselves hangout with their best friend and then try to kiss them and see if they’ve secretly been pining too.

Imagine.

Claire - my gorgeous pocket rocket from the Big Apple 🍎

This ask (that you sent eons ago) could not just be answered with a simple - 'omg, yes - I know right - it's the perfect Stucky scenario - someone should write it'... Because well - I guess somehow it turned out that I could write a little something...

I hope you enjoy this, because without your cheerleading, your throwing of pom poms and generally screaming at me in comments and on here - well writing wouldn't be half as much fun.

So for you Claire - enjoy this little story of two boys, a kiss in the making and a TikTok account 😘

~*~*~*~*~

Nerves rode Bucky as he placed his phone down into the perfect position; camera at the ready, not pressing record yet - but waiting for the signal. Steve was doing the exact same with his phone, only from a slightly different angle, setting it up for their parkour trick - something they were going to post to TikTok later. But although Steve was under the impression he was about to perform a flip off Bucky’s shoulders to grab hold of a tree branch then scale the fifteen foot wall beside it - Bucky had other ideas.

He’d seen a new TikTok challenge that week, it was plastered all over the platform and filled his suggested videos, and since the first time he’d watched one, then devoured another fifty straight away, he’d secretly wanted to do it. Wanted to throw all caution to the wind and seize the moment.

Today was that day.

Bucky Barnes was going to kiss Stevie Rogers right on the lips. His best friend since middle school, the boy, now man that he’d secretly loved for over a decade - and although Bucky could have thought of a million different ways to show Steve how he felt - he’d just never had the courage. At least if the video bombed, he could still put it up as a laugh and hopefully Steve would see the joke and it wouldn’t ruin their friendship - hopefully.

So Bucky waited for Steve to finish fiddling with his phone and camera positioning, which was taking him longer than usual to set up, trying to not let the butterflies in his gut take over.

Steve finally looked up, face flushed red like he’d already performed the stunt and Bucky was struck dumb, staring at how beautiful Steve was in the afternoon sunlight. He became lost in the way the shadows from the trees created patterns across Steve’s tightly toned body, the slight wind whispering to Bucky to take his chance, to not mess it up. And Steve stood before him like a golden god, nervously splaying his fingers, cracking his knuckles while staring back at Bucky with an unreadable expression on his face. Was he worried about their trick?

“You okay, Pal?” Bucky asked, his voice faltering with the knowledge he was about to change everything - or nothing.

Steve nodded, eyes wide and bright, darting over Bucky’s face, and Bucky took a moment to bask at being in Steve’s full attention.

“Yep,” Steve popped the ‘p’ and ran a hand through his hair, blonde strands sticking up comically, but Bucky didn’t laugh, he’d never seen someone as breathtaking as Steve did in that moment.

Steve was Bucky’s true north, a steady and unrelenting force at his side - but it went both ways. They’d been through family deaths, relationship fallouts, fights and everything in between, but the one thing that was always unbroken - was they were in it together. No matter what life threw at them, Steve and Bucky were as solid as rock. Unshakable.

And Bucky was probably about to screw it all up.

They closed in on each other, coming to a standstill until only a foot separated them; Steve’s huge blue eyes darted quickly between Bucky’s; there was something different about the look, intense, and Bucky wondered if his own nerves were obvious and Steve was suddenly unsure about the acrobatic feat they were attempting.

“You still want to do this? Haven’t changed your mind?” Bucky asked to make sure, and was surprised when Steve licked his lips and shook his head emphatically.

“No, I’m sure - more sure than I’ve ever been about anything.”

Bucky smiled, Steve being dramatic about their parkour tricks was not unusual, but the way Steve’s cheek twitched and how his foot tapped on the ground was not normal behaviour. And Bucky couldn’t help but start to worry that his idea to surprise-kiss Steve wasn’t the greatest one, wasn’t something he should be trying, as it seemed Steve was janky - wound up.

“Alright, Stevie. If you’re sure.”

Resolve filled Steve’s features as they both turned on their cameras, and once set up, Steve took an almost hesitant step forward.

Bucky held his breath.

It was the moment of truth.

They’d practised the trick so many times, had to start toe to toe for it to work, Steve pushing off Bucky to sprint to the wall, running vertically up the side of it, to twist around and jump off Bucky’s shoulders and flip onto the tree branch, shoving off it then using his momentum to run up the rest of the wall. Finally gripping the lip and climbing over it.

They’d gone over it at least thirty times.

No injuries as of yet.

But this time, just as Steve pressed forward, Bucky yanked him in - at the exact same time as Steve flew forward, completely catching Bucky off guard as he was heading in the wrong direction than expected, he was moving towards Bucky instead of pushing away - and their heads slammed together with a loud thud.

And instead of taking the defeat of the moment graciously, Bucky was in too deep, had waited too long, had it all planned out - and so as Steve rubbed his forehead looking as mortified at what had transpired as Bucky, Bucky once again leant forward. Only to find Steve pitching towards him too, and for the second time in less than three seconds their skulls cracked against the other.

“- holy shit, Barnes. Are you going to let me kiss you or not?”

“- Steve you fucking menace, I’m trying to kiss you!”

The silence was deafening as their words mingled together and wide ocean blue eyes met stormy silt infused grey-blue ones in shock.

“- what did you…?”

“- did you just...?”

Once again talking at the same time, they both trailed off, and the words started to sink into Bucky’s fried brain. Steve was trying to kiss him. Him.

Slack jawed, he could only stare at Steve whose expression mimicked his own, clearly having come to the same realisation about Bucky. He managed to swallow the obscenely thick lump in his throat and with a small tremor in his hand, reached up to place it on Steve’s forehead where a red mark was forming - rubbing the spot gently with his thumb. Steve’s eyes softened and his shoulders relaxed.

With the last tendrils of fear slipping away, Bucky trailed his fingers down the side of Steve’s face before reaching behind his head, gripping the base of Steve’s neck. Then stopped.

Steve’s breathing laboured, coming in sharp and Bucky tightened his grip, loving the way Steve’s eyes fluttered half shut before they opened again, trying not to lose contact with Bucky’s.

Steve was stunning, so responsive and Bucky licked his lips, loving how Steve’s attention snagged on his mouth immediately.

“Can I?” Bucky husked, and Steve nodded jerkily when Bucky’s fingers played with the silky strands of Steve’s hair as he leant in.

The first meeting of their lips lacked the pain of slammed heads and teeth - but it was perfect in every way. Steve’s lips were plush, soft and pliant under Buckys as Bucky took control of the kiss, pressing forward into Steve’s heat. Bucky’s other hand came up to cup Steve’s face tenderly, unable to express how it felt to be kissing his lifelong friend after so many years of yearning for it, Bucky almost at the point where he thought it could never happen. The fact Steve kissed him back - enthusiastically, made his heart thump louder and harder until it was all he could hear in his mind.

After a moment, Bucky pulled away, resting his forehead on Steve’s, mindful of the tender place they’d cracked heads minutes earlier, and couldn’t stop the rasped laugh that escaped.

“You laughing at the way I kiss, Barnes?” Steve sassed with a smile in his voice.

Bucky chuckled, “no, not at all.” He paused a second to gather his thoughts, “I just can’t believe I set this up to kiss you on camera for TikTok, so damn nervous the whole time you’d freak out and punch me - and you were doing the exact same thing.”

Steve grinned and pulled away enough so that he could stare into Bucky’s eyes, the emotion shining from his beautifully clear expression stole the breath from Bucky’s lungs.

“How long?” Steve asked with a whisper. And Bucky wanted to lie, to tell him it wasn’t long, that he’d only just realised if only to stop himself looking too much like a sap.

He didn’t lie.

“The day you punched Deon Franklin when he asked me for a tongue kiss while calling me those terrible names.”

Steve’s stunned look spoke volumes, “Bucky. We were sixteen.”

“And…?” Bucky winced at Steve’s incredulous tone.

Suddenly Steve laughed hysterically, and Bucky started to back up, but before he got too far, Steve grabbed his biceps stopping him in his tracks. “Oh no you dont. You do know why I punched him right?”

“Because he was a dick?”

“Well apart from that.” Steve said wryly and took a deep breath, letting Bucky go. “It’s because he upset you. And I was desperate for your attention - wanted that kiss he so crudely demanded as a joke.”

“What…” Bucky stammered out, “You wanted me back then too?”

Steve smiled indulgently at him. “You didn’t think I stuck around just for your personality did you?”

Bucky roared with laughter, elated at the turn of events and grabbed Steve, slamming their mouths together, and soon the kiss morphed from chaste and exploratory to something meaner, something heavier. Pushing Steve up against the tree, the small noise from Steve’s throat as the bark dug into his skin set something feral off in Bucky and he kissed deeper, shoving his tongue further until both of them struggled for air.

A loud beeping infiltrated Bucky’s hearing and he reluctantly pulled away, adoring the slack jawed and glazed look in Steve’s eyes way too much. Wanting Steve to look up at him with that exact same expression but with a lot less clothing and a lot more privacy in place.

“Want to do the trick still?” Bucky questioned as he walked over and grabbed his phone to stop the alert that he was running out of video. When Steve didn’t answer he looked back over his shoulder and almost dropped his phone.

Steve was leaning limp against the tree, clearly half hard and staring after Bucky like he’d just gifted him the world. When in actual fact, it was Steve who’d done that for him.

Bucky stalked back over, gripping Steve’s chin, kissing him soundly one more time, and Steve immediately went pliant under his touch, oh boy, they were going to have so much fun.

“How about instead, we go back to mine and see what other tricks we can come up with?”

Steve’s breathing came in faster and harder and a broken ‘yes’ worked its way out of his throat, Bucky catching the word in his mouth as he kissed Steve again.

Bucky smirked as he pulled away, helping Steve stand upright.

“But, only on the condition that we tape it.” Steve said in a voice deep and rich, and Bucky was suddenly on the back foot when Steve smiled deliciously at him, eyes full of dirty promises.

Dry mouthed and vibrating from anticipation, Bucky followed Steve to his car, walking in a slight daze at what had transpired in only twenty minutes.

And all Bucky was certain of, was that although his TikTok kiss hadn’t gone to plan - everything else would fall into place.

Just the way it was meant to.

#Claire - this is all your fault - look what you made me do!!#stucky #Steve x Bucky #friends to lovers #tiktok challenge drabble/fic #mutual pining #mywriting #something silly #Claire i love you ❤️#i have the most amazing friends who inspire me to write this fluffy crap 🥰#kalee answers

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lovemesomesurveys · 4 years ago

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1. How has covid affected you? It just made me even more of a hermit crab than I already was, which I acknowledge is absolutely nothing at all compared to what so many people around the world experienced. It’s heartbreaking to say the least to see the tremendous effect it had.

2. What is a comfort show of yours ? Shows I grew up with and have seen many times. The other day I couldn’t sleep at all and I decided to put on The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, which used to come on the Disney Channel early in the morning when I was a kid and it was just really comforting and helped me relax enough to fall asleep.

3. Are you open about your past or do you not let anyone in? I’m quite open on here that’s for sure. I’m not nearly as open in person as I am in these surveys.

4. Favourite fast food joint? I don’t have a particular favorite, really, it just depends what I’m in the mood for.

5. Do you think we were put on this earth for a reason? Yes.

6. What is something you have done this year you’re proud of? Nothing. This year has been awful so far due to some health setbacks.

7. Do u ever feel like surveys are usually the same questions? Oh, most definitely. I guess I have to expect that considering how many I take and how long I’ve been doing these things. Still, it does get annoying when the same questions come up a lot back to back. So often I’ll take a survey and then do another after and end coming across the same questions.

8. What were you doing 10 years ago? Ten years ago I was 21. Wow. I was attending community college, I had friends and a social life, I was actually doing something... sigh. Soooo much has changed.

9. Do you call out Karen’s when they’re harassing a cashier? No.

10. Animal crossing , yay or nay? Yay. I was addicted like all of last year and then for some reason I stopped playing a few months ago. I should start up again.

11. Why do you like to do surveys? I just genuinely enjoy doing them. Besides giving me something to do, these are like my diary entries as well. I’m able to vent and ramble, which is often needed. I also like the interesting and random questions to think about and answer. I just like ‘em, man.

12. Did you ever have a MySpace ? Yep. I was super into Myspace back in it’s heyday.

13. Do you think breaks are toxic in a relationship? I wouldn’t say they’re toxic, but I don’t know how well they work out. You definitely have to make sure you’ve very, very clear on what all the break entails and that you’re both on the same page.

14. Do you have a YouTube channel? If no , would you create one? If yes what’s your content? I have a YouTube account so I can subscribe to accounts and whatnot, but I myself don’t make videos. I have no interest at all in that.

15. Are you a math person? Noooo. Math and I have always been enemies.

16. What’s the worse thing someone has said to you? Hm. I feel like the worst things have been said by me to myself. :/

17. Have you ever befriended someone because you felt bad? Kind of. :/

18. Would you ever date someone online? Nahh.

19. Have you been ghosted before? Would you ghost someone? I sure have and unfortunately I’ve done it as well. :/

20. When do you think things will be normal again? I don’t know...

21. Do you watch anime? No.

22. Biggest goal you wanna reach before 2020 is over ? Welp, that passed.

23. How old did/do you turn this year ? I’ll be 32. D:

24. Do you like tiktok? I was hooked for a good while and then fell off. It’s been a couple months now since the last time I’ve been on there.

25. Do you ever miss vine? We have TikTok now. But there were a lot of good Vines that still get mentioned and people remember. That was a whole different time.

26. How are you doing, seriously? In the words of MCR, “I’m not o-fucking-kay.” It’s been rough.

27. Is there someone you want to talk to but you know you can’t? Kind of.

28. Do you make jokes to cope with your problems? Self-deprecating jokes are definitely something I do.

29. Have you ever had someone call you their best friend but you didn’t even consider them a close friend? Yes. :X I feel like I’ve definitely been on the other side of that as well, though. I always felt like I was closer to someone and they didn’t feel the same way.

30. Have you ever dealt with a pathological liar? Not to my knowledge.

31. Long or short surveys? Long.

32. If ur in school , are you doing it on zoom or in class? --

33. Would you ever have a pet rat? Gah, no.

34. Favourite memory with your best friend? There’s way too many.

35. Favourite type of content to watch on YouTube? ASMR, vlogs, Disney related videos (history of Disney and its parks, history and information about the movies and TV shows past and present, theories, fun facts, etc), abandoned buildings, lifestyle videos, some drama videos...

36. Are you allergic to anything serious? No, thankfully.

37. Dream job? I don’t have one. :/

38. Do you think dreams mean anything? Sometimes.

39. Fav clothing brand? I don’t have a favorite brand, really.

40. Do you miss anyone? My loved ones who have passed away.

#personal #text #survey #surveys

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lgcmax · 5 years ago

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𝐖𝐄𝐋𝐋 𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐋𝐎 ! i’m coming to you with a very late intro, i know, but i swear i’m not usually this unprepared !! anyways, my name is jada, and this is my chaotic baby maxwell “ MAX ” choi ! i love him to death already and can’t wait to start writing with him ! i was here long ago with the short-lived yet beloved zhao chenglei, but life got in the way ! the two are very different, yet i’m even more stoked to be here the second time around & get things going ! i did create him kind of spontaneously, so his plots & bio page is still wip, but you can find his profile here, and some trivia & plot bunnies below ! oh, and LIKE THIS if you’d like to plot, maybe ? i’ll stop talking now, but i hope to hear from you soon !

𝐁𝐀𝐂𝐊𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘 !

first generation canadian who hails from toronto, canada ! a snow baby forever and always, he loved living there and has nothing but good memories there !

he was born maxwell choi, and he’s still called that by family and some old friends, but once he got to middle school he felt the name was too fancy and wasn’t fitting so dropped the “well” and just became MAX !

though he’s canadian, he’s never really felt he was lacking in terms of his korean identity ! both his parents were born and raised there, korean is actually his first language, and he was taught english through school. since he was two he’s been going to korea for the summer to visit his family, too, so he’s always felt really connected to his culture !

his dad’s a car salesman at his own dealerhsip, and his mom’s an attorney, so he’s lived a really comfortable life. it’s easy to see where his charisma comes from, too ! growing up his dad was more involved in his upbringing, while his mom was on the colder side, so he’s closer to him as he’s the one who was the most loving toward him then and now !

he was expected to take over his dad’s position at the dealership when he was older, but as he grew up he noticed his absolute lack of passion for the career. he thought it fit his dad well, yet couldn’t see him doing something like that !

but during his teenage years he discovered his love for rap ! he always loved listening to it, but when he started rapping along he discovered his true passion.

he didn’t really know what to do with that, however, as it wasn’t a very stable career ! it wasn’t until 2016 when he met someone online through a video game & they became friends that things changed ! they would talk a lot & eventually they introduced him to the world of kpop and ... boom ! everything changed for him. when he realized it wasn’t all girls in frilly skirts ( which hey, wasn’t too bad either ) he found himself being engulfed in this entirely new music genre !

fast forward all the way to 2019, when he auditioned for the company ! it was in january, and there was no way he thought he was gonna make it. they were giving out cds to those who auditioned, and he really just wanted to hear some haru, but it was quite literally the biggest surprise of his life when he got accepted !

his mom was enitrely, and i mean e n t i r e l y, against the idea. she thought a career in the idol industry was fleeting and not profitable and thought it was an embarrassment for him to be apart of. while his father wasn’t thrilled and still has hopes for him to inherit the dealership, he was content seeing his son happy and hoped for his success.

so off max went, to the big city of seoul !! unlike some foreign trainees it wasn’t some great transition for him, in fact he adjusted pretty well ! he had the benefit of being well-travelled and having visited the country often, as well as being comfortable in his korean.

it wasn’t all peaches and roses, however, and he did have some difficulty ! it was the first time he was coming to stay, so he had a tendency to get homestick, and despite everything, he still stuck out. he had a lot of mannerisms, style choices, and just obvious indicators he was a foreigner. he also had to finish off the last semester of his senior year in korea, and he was bummed he missed out on those senior year experiences like graduation, senior parties, and just being with the people he’d grown up with !

whenever he was having trouble, he couldn’t really call home either, since he knew they doubted him and didn’t want to give them any more reason to ! he’s not really the type to share when he’s feeling down, so he really internalized a lot of his emotions at the time, and the bit that he didn’t he confided in with his few friends he’d made by then. definitely a bit of a rough patch for him !

he also may have had some trouble getting along with trainees ! he has a very blunt & extroverted personality, which didn’t really fit with typical korean social norms !

aside from that, max was a LOT more chill than some of these people. he was passionate about rapping, but some trainees were “debut-or-die” level and he just wasn’t that far ! he’d just kind of look at them like .... why are you making this such a big deal ? i’m just here to have fun ?? so he had a tendency to slack off a lot during the first few months of training and try to bend the rules as much as he could behind the trainer’s backs without getting caught ! which i can imagine would get on some trainee’s nerves.

he does go to university, a condition by his parents for letting him go to korea. he’s a music production major and marketing minor at the moment, but he’s changed his mind quite a few times ! honestly, he’s not all that interested in attending school, but doesn’t have much of a choice and knows it’s an important backup should this whole idol thing not work ! he does enjoy the social life he gets from it, though, because he would’ve had a much harder time adjusting and meeting friends had he not been in school.

now, he’s still pretty sluggish, but after a few company punishments, he’s shaping up and learning how to work harder. he just passed his year anniversary training with the company, and though he has a lot to learn he’s showed promise in his time there !

𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐘 !

very extroverted !!! and he always has been. he feels really comfortable and large environments and is the main reason he thrives as an idol ! can and will pick up a conversation with just about anyone, particularly those who aren’t like him but rather on the more introverted spectrum !

like stated before, he doesn’t really like talking about his emotions if they’re personal / negative. it makes him uncomfortable & awkward and thinks it makes everyone else feel that way too, so avoids it like the plague. if he’s emotional with you ... you’re a keeper !

tends to make light out of every scenario, due to his optimistic nature. he has the mentality that life’s too short to be stressed, so does his best to avoid it whenever he gets the chance ! it can be appropriate at times, and sometimes people perceive it as him not taking things seriously, but really he’s trying to make things better !

a little cocky, considering his lack of experience. he kind of thinks he’s the s***, and he honestly could use a little more humility ! but he’s used to being held on this sort of pedestal, and because of it has a looot of confidence a lot of the time !

very loyal, once you befriend him he’s yours for life ! he values trust and longevity in a friendship, so does his all to give it to you. on the other hand, if you lose his trust, things .... get a little disastrous. he isn’t one to forgive something like that and will quite literally block someone out his life if they do break his trust.

on that note ... he’s also very stubborn !! he likes things the way he wants them, and can hold a grudge for years if he wants to. this is one of the exceptions to his “ hakuna matata ” mentality lmao, but he’s working on it ! he used to have trouble accepting criticism from trainers if he didn’t agree with them, but is slowly getting better at listening to feedback in order to improve.

tends to be a little manipulative ! he doesn’t mean to use it maliciously, but it does sometimes go like that. like i said, he’s got that desire to win other’s over to get what he wants like his parents, so ... that can translate into a little deception !

loves loves loves video games !!! will talk about them all day, if you ask. he’s been hooked ever since the first time he got a controller in his hand and is always looking for some new gaming buddies !

has a secret tiktok account that he can’t really publicize but people have to know ?? he just renegades too good not to have some practice folks

he compulsively says “ let’s get it ” and “ boom ” like the joke he is and it’s a problem, really !! someone please call him out or just .... stop him

also !! he is entirely too CLUMSY for his good. he trips over people, trips over his own limbs, trips over a i r !! there’s just no telling with this guy. he’s so stupid when it comes to coordination, i swear, i almost worry he needs to see a doctor lmao !! but thank god for his clumsiness coming in handy at the exact moment he needs to have a little humility.

𝐏𝐋𝐎𝐓𝐒 !

the friend he played video games with who introduced him to kpop ( see above ) !! they’ve been friends for roughly 3 years now and they’re the reason he even considered pursuing a career as an idol, so i imagine they’ve grown pretty close ! since they played online, this person doesn’t have to be from canada, and really any muse that knew korean or english well enough to communicate back then !

are there any canadian muses ?? i’m not sure ! if there is, i’d love to have some childhood friends who he grew up with ! give me all the angst, softness, or romance that you can muster up !! i love a good backstory.

some friends who he spent the summers in korea with ! he visited june through august of every year, and sometimes spent other holiday breaks there. so there’s definitely a chance for them to grow close ! maybe even a short-lived romance where they hadn’t expected to meet again ??

a senior / older trainee who showed max the ropes ! while he knew a good deal about korea he didn’t have a clue about being a trainee, so definitely could’ve used a bit of help there !! unintentionally this person became a sort of parental figure to max, even if they didn’t mean to or if they’re not significantly older ! either way, they were his first real source of support since the move, and nowadays he’s still very close to them and looks to them for any sort of help or advice he needs !

pleeeeease give him a little crush !! he goes out his way to impress those that he likes, and turns into a true softie !! on the other hand, a bitter exes plot or even exes on good terms could be fun too ! can you tell i’m a romantic yet ? 😥

someone who’s entirely put off by the thought of max ! someone who, unlike him, is planned, logical, or very cutthroat and passionate about becoming an idol ! give me someone to nitpick him for his lifestyle, and someone for him to bicker with and just create a little drama !!

video game buddies !! he doesn’t have the whole setup like he used to back home, but he does nearly always have his switch on him if your muse is in the mood for a little friendly competition !! fair warning .... he does get competitive !

male dorm h and male rookie evening trainee group gang, let’s go !! that’s a lot to say, but in simple terms, if your muse trains or dorms with him let’s get something going ! max is still a new trainee and needs some friends to spend the long days with, he promises to make it worth their while !! max has the power of making nearly every scenario entertaining, after all !

#lgc:intro #this is so late i'm sorry :c #but i filled this to the brim with content !!#also tysm for the cute welcomes !! i've heard my notifs going off & am getting to everything asap !!#also i'll rb this tomm !!

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atendersun-archived · 4 years ago

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Do random messages out of the blue upset you at all?

How scared are you of people, compared to how scared they should be of you?

How much anxious internal screaming goes on with you on a regular basis?

Anxious Munday Meme! / Accepting

Do random messages out of the blue upset you at all?

Nope, not at all! I am literally always down to have a conversation ooc. Bad day at work and you need to vent about the work snitch getting all up in your business? Hit me up. Saw a tiktok / youtube video that made you bust a gut and you have been meaning to say hello to me but haven't known how to approach me? Send me that shit. This also goes for messages pertaining to disclosing a crossed boundary, or constrictive criticism. I really want to implore to people that they can ALWAYS reach out to me the no matter the circumstance, because I really want to create an environment where everyone is having fun in those moments before we all gradually leave the platform permanently.

How scared are you of people, compared to how scared they should be of you?

I wish I could say that I was fearless in the face of conversing with muns, but that would be a total lie. In actuality, I probably message only two of them on a regular basis and then a few stagger behind in the occasional message from me. Then there are muns and myself who have followed one another for nearly a decade that I still communicate so little with because I don't know how to befriend them lmao. I can also admit that, as a quick to jump in Gemini, I can come off very strongly to signs with less of an energetic footprint. I'm, uh, also kind of a bitch when crossed with LMAO like I'll give you many chances to be considerate and friendly to Muu, but I make my presence nonexistent the minute I come to learn you be talking about me. please don't be afraid of me though LOL, my son wants to be friends with your children and I want to allow him the experiences.

How much anxious internal screaming goes on with you on a regular basis?

Pretty much none to be honest? I'm maybe a little bit too chill? Which, I guess, actually comes in handy in offsetting the amount of uncertainty and anxiousness that lives inside of Muu every day. It is also for this reason that I really don't have any sort of filtering or triggers in place when it comes to conversing with me. Anything and everything are on the table all day, every day, on account of the fact that I probably just burned all my fucks dealing with people at work. The absolute dickery I face working in a store that sells firearms can not be matched by anything anyone wishes to share with me in confidence, or even as a joke. Go ham, my friends. Be your wild ass selves right of the gate, I'm telling you.

#ooc

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creativemediapractice · 4 years ago

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Practical Project Evaluation

Successes, Shortcomings and Thoughts On Further Development.

Overall, my final project of Social Media Story and Split Screen came together well. I used Instagram for the social media platform app because It is easy to go onto and fun to use, perfect to interact with your audience also to which I was able to.

My whole plan was to do a project where it would interact with the audience and be able to do a social media story which would involve some split screen that would be entertaining to watch and want to see more of. I always love watching cooking recipes on other social media platforms so I did something similar yet with more content for an Instagram page dedicated to my assignment.

Instagram link to final project: https://www.instagram.com/creativemediapractice/

Successes

Due to my topic being based around cooking/baking recipes and facts, there was no stress with my research on what I could do that would be fun and appetising, there are food . I was capable of using my phone and DSLR camera for filming at home and using premiere pro and after effects afterwards to edit my work.

I watched a lot of Tiktok videos on how to do things with food and most of the recipes I used for my video content but I also added in my own ingredients to things instead of ‘copying’ the original videos. Tiktok was a perfect example to use for research as all the content on there is easy to watch and clear to follow, that is what I wanted to achieve with my work to which I did. I also used Adobe Spark to create my ‘Fact of the day’ images. It was easy to use and would definitely use it again for future assignments. I used their free images on the software and the effects they provided.

For the interactivity with my audience, Instagram allows you to post ‘stories’ where everyone can see and you can do a questionnaire or polls etc. I used the questions on the story posts to interact with followers to which they did. I asked questions such as ‘What would you want to see next?’ or ‘What was your favourite cooking/baking video?’ - just to see what their reaction would be as it would then be apart of the story-telling movement.

Although with the circumstances of COVID-19 and being restricted, I was still capable to do my project and stay safe. Another point of my final project is it is a content page where people can look into it and follow as I put in the Instagram bio how you can do what I do at home in lockdown. I kept it simple but creative, especially during this time when many people cannot leave their home etc.

Shortcomings

My original idea for my final project didn’t go to plan as I wanted to involve AR and split screen, however from doing many attempts of being able to build something creative for those two topics was a fail. Although this did not stop me from moving on and thinking of something else that I would be able to push myself to do straight away.

A major problem I had to deal with would be with my footage. I struggled for a while to scale it down to the Instagram post size of 1:1 (1080x1080). I started editing in Premiere Pro and the exporting it to After Effects to scale it down to the correct ratio/post size, however this made the whole video quality look terrible and not clear. I knew I had to start all over again to make sure all my video posts were perfect. I took some screen-grabs of when I was in the middle of editing to see the progress, where I went wrong and how I could change things.

First development of film was edited on premiere pro, background was too dark and the font should’ve been white.

After finishing editing in premiere pro, this is where I went wrong when I began to put the exported videos in after effects. From editing in 1920x1080 and needing a 1:1 square sized frame, I had to squish the video to look like this. It didn’t look right and made it look unprofessional.

After going through settings on premiere pro, I finally managed to put the scale size for the sequence down to 1080x1080 and fitting in my footage in it as well as split screen. It still looked slightly off but I was happy and stuck with it.

Another thing I did that made my video posts looks better was fading out the colour matte on premiere pro so you could see more of the footage. I made sure that everything was understanding to read and clear.

Thoughts On Further Development

For improvements towards my project I would look into adding more split screen in the short videos that I created. I would want to show a more of a ‘story’ to the content I make, for example if I was to add more to the Instagram assignment page I would’ve made a ‘parody’ to it to show a more entertaining and joking side - making fun of the original content i’ve already made, for example ‘How to make a pizza’ I could’ve done something ridiculous and bought a pizza and filmed it being put it in the oven and that would be the end.

My main weakness for this project would be sticking to a strong idea. If I was to work on something like this again I would plan out more thoroughly and narrow it down to one idea, to which would attract more of an audience to. Also, if I had more time I would’ve brought AR into my project as I love the idea of using QR codes to be linked to a website. Instagram already provide the QR code for your own account in settings so it is still something I can look into doing due to the fact my assignment is on a social media platform to which I use everyday for my personal account.

All together my project was fun to do and I am pleased with the turn out of it. I will continue working on the Instagram page as I love the idea of being able to see the process of creating something. The social media platform is a visual so all my posts will tell the story as well as some help from the captions.

____________________________________________________________________

Tiktok inspiration videos links:

Brownies: https://www.tiktok.com/@bakingenvy/video/6858615715855895813?sender_device=pc&sender_web_id=6900491710502733317&is_from_webapp=v1

Cookies: https://www.tiktok.com/@fitwaffle/video/6827878576549825797?sender_device=pc&sender_web_id=6900491710502733317&is_from_webapp=v1

Background music links in videos (in order):

- Homemade soup: song used - https://youtu.be/Re91qDHjtmw

- Scrambled eggs: song used - https://youtu.be/wZGmTHtmyRw

- Iced Coffee: song used - https://youtu.be/-2KofbXvMp0

- Wrap pizza: song used - https://youtu.be/Fs2Wqh-nCb0

- Homemade brownies: song used - https://youtu.be/zvUXqq1u69Y

- Homemade cookies: song used - https://youtu.be/N_XLoAB1hbQ

- Avocado and poached eggs: song used - https://youtu.be/6me17gGZYRg

(sound effect of beeping noise for avocado and poached eggs from youtube: https://youtu.be/cyKQ2-5bT9o )

- ‘Fact of the day’ information: https://www.thefactsite.com/100-random-food-facts/

‘- Fact of the day’ images used from Adobe Spark free images: https://spark.adobe.com/sp/

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crohnsdigest · 5 years ago

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COVID-19: TikTok, Social Media, and Health Information

APRIL 17, 2020 -- As doctors spend hours upon hours treating patients and the rest of the world spends their time behind closed doors, it's hard to engage with one another. Social distancing has left many people feeling isolated and searching for answers about COVID-19. One avenue I've found helpful, in both engaging with others and providing answers (as well as busting myths), is social media, particularly the TikTok app. TikTok, launched in 2017, is a social media platform that has been downloaded over a billion times. Catering to teens and young adults, users make 15- to 60-second videos, often set to trending music or popular sound clips. The app is set up in a way that allows videos to go viral frequently. Often, millions of views can occur over just 24 hours. When scrolling through TikTok, you are almost guaranteed to stumble across a medical video, especially these days during the COVID-19 pandemic. On the app, you might see registered nurses teaching proper handwashing while singing a popular song or a physician dancing while educating on social distancing. The spirit of the app is to create content that is creative, fun, and interesting. The potential of TikTok as a public health tool is also being recognized by major health and news organizations. The World Health Organization and the Washington Post are using the platform to educate and inform about COVID-19. But TikTok isn't without controversy in how medical professionals are using the platform. So how does this translate to medical professionals on TikTok? How do we convey important and sobering public health information on the app while also entertaining the audience—often our patients or prospective patients? And how do we do this now, amid COVID-19, when such a serious pandemic is causing stress among us all, including doctors? My TikTok Journey I downloaded the TikTok app in May 2019. I spent a few weeks scrolling through silly clips of kids making dances inspired by math equations, a young mom giving tips on couponing, and a college student drawing cartoon characters. The content was fun, silly, and often educational. I absolutely loved it. However, I was surprised by the lack of health-related content. Inspired by my 6 years of work in health education before medical school and interest in health advocacy, I decided to create the educational content I felt was missing. I focused on content that I thought was relevant to the young demographic using the app: such topics as intrauterine devices, vaping, LGBTQ health, and basic anatomy. The response was bigger than I would have ever expected. My TikTok videos quickly garnered millions of views and resulted in lots of media coverage in the United States and other countries. When the COVID-19 pandemic started, I realized that the platform was going to be a critical tool for public health messaging. Teens Trust Physicians on Social Media As the COVID-19 pandemic hit the United States, a concern arose that younger generations are not taking social isolation or hygiene recommendations seriously. In fact, the US Surgeon General asked social media influencers to use their platforms to engage and inform younger Americans about COVID-19. In response, I shifted my content to focus on COVID-19 and what each individual person can do to help prevent spread of this illness. And guess what? It is definitely working. After creating a video explaining why social distancing is so important, a follower replied, "I didn't used to understand it. Thank you for taking the time to explain this!" In response to a video on practical hygiene tips, a follower commented, "I was overwhelmed and anxious, but this made me feel a lot better." People are looking for information about COVID-19 from trusted professionals and feel comfortable learning through social media. However, TikTok also has the potential to spread inappropriate or misleading content to wide audiences. A few medical professionals have created videos that make fun of patients or are downright rude. (I'm not going to link to specific examples so that we don't bring more attention to negative content.) Some accounts pose as medical professionals and spread false information about the COVID-19 pandemic. These videos create greater distrust between the public and healthcare professionals. As usual, a few bad apples can spoil the bunch. This has sparked controversy, with many medical professionals asking whether physicians should use TikTok at all as an educational tool during the COVID-19 pandemic. Most of the doctors and other health professionals I follow, however, are just that—professional. Like any technological tool, if used correctly, TikTok is a venue to provide critical health information to the masses. Advice to Medical Professionals on TikTok TikTok is an extremely powerful avenue for health education and advocacy work for a few reasons. On the app, health content has the potential to reach hundreds of thousands of people within minutes. The audio and visual tools provide a unique educational experience.QUESTIONWhat is the Wuhan coronavirus?See Answer Given that the spirit of TikTok revolves around comedy, goofiness, and dancing, however, medical professionals must take extra care to ensure that their COVID-19–related content is appropriate and professional. Having trouble getting inspired? Ask a colleague to help you with a video. Here are the 10 most important lessons I have learned about professionalism and TikTok over the past year. Determine your intention on the app. Professional social media accounts should be used for education, advocacy, and recruitment, not personal fame or get-rich-quick schemes. Especially during this pandemic.Never create content at the expense of a patient or family. Jokes about patient care are never okay. Remember, the goal is engagement, not estrangement.Do your research, use evidence-based information, and cite your sources. Not only is this the ethical thing to do, but it also helps users practice thinking critically about the information they see on social media. We need to give a united message during this time of uncertainty.Speak to what you are an expert in. I, as a family medicine resident, should avoid giving medical advice about dental surgery, so I don't. When I do make videos, they are on topics I'm well-versed in and discuss regularly with patients in the clinic.Be aware of the music you select for your videos. Many popular songs contain vulgar messages that are not appropriate to be paired with medical information. Remember, this is a popular app for children of various ages. You don't want to offend a young person or a parent.Film in a location that respects the privacy of patients, staff, and coworkers. If you are filming at work, speak with your supervisor about an approved private location to do so.Remember that if you discuss your profession on social media, you are representing that profession to the world.Be very careful if telling a patient story. Patient stories can be powerful for education and advocacy, but no patient should encounter a post and wonder, Are they talking about me? Always, always either get patient consent or change the details enough so you aren't reflecting a real person's story.Only post content you would be okay with being on the cover on the New York Times. Social media posts can go viral—for good and for bad. So be smart about your content.Have fun and be yourself! https://crohnsdigest.net/ Read the full article

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timalexanderdollery · 5 years ago

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How the Washington Post’s TikTok became an unofficial 2020 campaign stop

Andrew Yang poses for a selfie. | Ethan Miller/Getty Images

For politicians, the buzziest new social video app presents a risk and an opportunity.

In 2015, Hillary Clinton was “yas queening” all over the internet. She had an official Snapchat account with a “Yaaas, Hillary!” logo that was also a T-shirt, a posed #yas photo with the stars of Broad City, custom Hillary Bitmoji, ironic cross-stitch art, and other signifiers of “yas” culture that’s since become emblematic of a certain kind of blinkered white feminism. An attempt to reach millennials with a passing familiarity with stan culture, it was also an extremely strategy easy to mock. As Amanda Hess wrote at the time in Slate, “American culture does not exactly appreciate the image of the ‘authentic’ older woman, but boy does it hate the older woman who strains to stay relevant.”

Hillary Clinton lost the election. That fact certainly can’t be attributed solely to a social media voice that many criticized as insincere and pandering, but it had a lasting impact on the ways we expect politicians to behave online.

It also might offer a clue on why so few politicians have a presence on the buzziest social media app of the moment, TikTok. Since its US launch in August 2018, the short-form video app has exploded in popularity, having been downloaded more than a billion times in 2018 and boasting 27 million active American users as of February 2019. Both Facebook and Instagram have launched competitors (or clones, depending on whom you ask), and celebrities like Will Smith, Ariana Grande, Ed Sheeran, and Reese Witherspoon are now flocking to the app en masse.

Politicians, meanwhile, have been understandably hesitant to hop on board. Like all social media apps, TikTok has its own vernacular, and any transgressions of that shared language and sensibility stick out like, well, septuagenarian politicians on a social media app meant for teens. The fear of coming off as insincere or being flooded with “ok boomer” comments is a real one. The other outcome? A TikTok presence that fails to leave a mark, like Julian Castro’s account, which currently only has 470 followers.

Still, that leaves an opportunity. Enter: the TikTok account of an equally stodgy publication that has, against all odds, managed to feel truly native to the TikTok ecosystem. It’s the Washington Post’s, which since its debut this spring has amassed a quarter-million followers and a legion of superfans who praise its goofy premises and unserious tone. So far, three candidates — Andrew Yang, Beto O’Rourke, and Julian Castro — have appeared on it.

The Washington Post’s TikTok’s success is the direct result of its creator and biggest star, 28-year-old Dave Jorgenson, who previously created humor and satire videos for the newspaper. A scroll through the Washington Post’s TikTok account will show Dave making self-deprecating jokes about being an adult on the app, Dave occupying the role of “the TikTok guy” in meetings, Dave doing silly 15-second sketches with the paper’s fashion, gaming, and economics reporters.

Jorgenson attributes the growth and fanbase of the account to his spending two months watching and listening to videos on TikTok instead of rushing to quickly turn around content. “If you’re gonna launch anything, whether you’re a newspaper or a brand or a company, you need to understand the app, otherwise people will see right through you,” he says. “Especially on TikTok, because the whole thing is that it’s mostly just raw videos set to music.”

The Washington Post, however, has what regular TikTok users don’t: access to very important people. In October, 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang just happened to be scheduled to visit the Washington Post’s offices filming an unrelated segment when Jorgenson was able to strike a plan with Yang’s team about filming a TikTok.

Yang’s team was already a fan of the Post’s TikTok account; the campaign has also leaned heavily on the fact that he is a tech entrepreneur. “We didn’t really have to sell it to Andrew Yang,” says Jorgenson. “He was like, ‘If they think it’s great, I’m going to do it.’” It’s a particularly impressive feat considering the resulting video was actually poking fun at Yang’s low polling numbers. “Finally relaxing after a full day of interviews and meeting people,” reads the caption on the first segment, followed by “Still polling at 3 percent” against a backdrop of Yang dancing in celebration.

The paper has since done equally self-deprecating videos with both Beto O’Rourke, who ended his campaign on November 1, and Julian Castro, whose video was a play on how much he looks like his brother, Texas Rep. Joaquin Castro. All three videos took off, garnering between 40,000 and 400,000 likes.

Though neither Beto’s nor Castro’s team replied to a request for comment, Yang’s press secretary told Vox, “We’re constantly exploring ways to reach new audiences and voters, and the TikTok video with the Washington Post is certainly one of those ways.”

Since the election of Donald Trump proved politicians could tweet rambling, often nonsensical stream-of-consciousness sentences and still win over voters, politicians have approached social media with an increased candidness. New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has posted her skin care routine to her Instagram stories; O’Rourke live-streamed his haircut; Elizabeth Warren posts videos of herself calling small-dollar donors to social media and makes a point to pose for every single person who wants a selfie after her town halls. In an age where we expect to be welcomed into the homes and lives of everyone we follow online, connecting with politicians has never felt so intimate.

Politicians have historically been pretty terrible at social media. A cursory glance at Mike Huckabee’s tweeting habits will illustrate as much — the former Arkansas governor and presidential candidate was once described by Fast Company as “the least funny person on Twitter.” Even cool-ish, young-ish presidential candidates are sometimes bad at tweeting. Cory Booker has made the same joke — a bit of PG-13 wordplay about coffee and sleep — 14 times over the past decade.

There are now more avenues than ever for politicians to embarrass themselves online. Instagram, for instance, has gained popularity among politicians faster than any other social media platform over the past few years, and was also the site of O’Rourke’s now-infamous live-streamed dentist appointment.

Aidan King, a senior strategist at Middle Seat consulting who has worked on presidential campaigns for both Bernie Sanders and O’Rourke, says that there’s a certain degree of apprehension in approaching any new social media platform. If candidates don’t know precisely who they’re speaking to, their message can be warped into something else. “There’s nothing worse for a political campaign than going viral for the wrong reasons,” he says.

TikTok, with its legions of irony-steeped teens, presents a specific danger. “The zoomers can be pretty ruthless, and it’s also clear which candidates they like a lot,” explains King. “Young people are really into Bernie Sanders, Andrew Yang, Elizabeth Warren, so I can understand why other candidates in the 2020 races just don’t really want to mess with [TikTok]. Joe Biden going on a platform that adores Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is a recipe for disaster. They know the audience well enough to know they wouldn’t really get along with the people there.”

The Washington Post’s TikTok, though, is a controlled environment where candidates have little to lose, even when the content is unlike anything a political PR team would have typically come up with. “There’s just this very positive feeling around TikTok. Even if they are self-deprecating, they’re pretty wholesome,” Jorgenson says. “While the text in front of Andrew Yang was deprecating, it’s very funny. How could that hurt you?”

Jorgenson hopes to get every 2020 Democratic candidate in a video and has reached out to multiple candidates, but there is one white whale in particular. “I think if we get Bernie, then we have done our job, because I don’t know how we’re going to. But I’d be very proud of myself,” he laughs.

There are concerns over TikTok’s ties to the Chinese government (its parent company Bytedance is based in Beijing) and its willingness to bow to conservative governments by censoring pro-LGBTQ content, but the app has always wanted its content to remain politics-free. It recently announced it would ban political advertising out of a desire to remain a “positive, refreshing environment.” While nothing is stopping politicians from using the app, they may be hesitant to engage with one that will soon be under investigation by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States.

It’s also likely it simply isn’t worth building a following on an app where a sizeable portion of its users aren’t even old enough to vote. For now, one-off sketches with the TikTok expert over at the Washington Post will do.

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gracieyvonnehunter · 5 years ago

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How the Washington Post’s TikTok became an unofficial 2020 campaign stop

Andrew Yang poses for a selfie. | Ethan Miller/Getty Images

For politicians, the buzziest new social video app presents a risk and an opportunity.

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corneliusreignallen · 5 years ago

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How the Washington Post’s TikTok became an unofficial 2020 campaign stop

Andrew Yang poses for a selfie. | Ethan Miller/Getty Images

For politicians, the buzziest new social video app presents a risk and an opportunity.

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shanedakotamuir · 5 years ago

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How the Washington Post’s TikTok became an unofficial 2020 campaign stop

Andrew Yang poses for a selfie. | Ethan Miller/Getty Images

For politicians, the buzziest new social video app presents a risk and an opportunity.

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cims230socialmediablogkec · 5 years ago

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Blog Post 3- Theory of Social Media 1

Social Media has nearly taken over all other forms of communication in our modern world. We use our phones and computers daily and are most likely doing much more than just calling/texting or typing up essays for class. I wake up and the first thing I do is check Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook, Tiktok, and the list goes on depending on the amount of time I have. I check my email to see if I have any emails from my teachers to the class in order to get prepared for the rest of my day. As a 22-year-old, I grew up with little technology (still much more technology from years past) compared to what we have now. Since my parents separated at a young age, I was given a phone for safety reasons, but honestly barley used it and also didn’t even know where it was half the time. It’s funny to think back on those times when I would lose my phone for 2 weeks and didn’t give a care in the world. My friends and I still relied on playing pretend, jumping on the trampoline, and playing outdoors for most of our childhood. I do remember watching Youtube a lot though and sharing videos with friends that we would watch and laugh and watch so many times that we basically memorized them. I can think of a few off the top of my head: Fred videos, shoes, what do you want for breakfast Johnny?? Muffins!! Who knows if other people watched these as well, but I can be sure if I texted friends who I went to elementary/middle school with, they would remember them just as clearly as I can.

I would say social media started to have a huge impact on overall communication with others towards the end of middle school/start of high school (around 2012). Most people my age owned a smart phone at that point, and I think that was the major change. We no longer had a phone that we used to call our parents or exchange riveting (joking) texts to our friends, but rather a computer, phone, camera, and iPod all in one. I think the iPhone was the major switch from general technology usage to the obsession with social media. When first getting an iPhone, setting up an Instagram account and Snapchat was crucial and following people from your school on the accounts. I have an old account that I think gained 300 followers max, compared to now, when most people have over 1,000 followers/friends.

Social Media sites have been created to facilitate the growth of social media and different ways of interacting with others. With time, we’ve seen changes in these sites and the growth of businesses that created them. For instance, we’ve seen Vine be shut down, and have seen Tiktok gain growth in order to replace what had been taken from us. Boyd and Ellison, “define social network sites as web-based services that allow individuals to (1) construct a public or semi-public profile within a bounded system, (2) articulate a list of other users with whom they share a connection, and (3) view and traverse their list of connections and those made by others within the system” (211). With the help of these sites, we are able to connect with people all over the world. Something I remember when we first were introduced to Facetime, and my mom was able to connect with her friend from college who currently lives in Amsterdam. I remember my mom and I being excited and surprised, and now it has become so easy for the two of them to keep in touch. Today, my grandparents live for Facetime because all of my cousins and I are in college, and they depend on Facetime to keep in touch with us. My grandma also has an Instagram, simply just to follow her grandchildren and screenshot and crop all images that we post for her liking.

In terms of pressing issues that social media “faces” in the current moment, I have read a lot of articles in which angry parents are upset about their children being on Tiktok. I recently shared in class that I babysit for a 13-year-old girl who has gotten her phone taken away multiple times for cursing on the site and for chatting with strangers. Although I also scroll through Tiktok, it makes me think of the perspective of this young girl and how would I be using the app if I were her age now. I remember when I first made a Facebook and Instagram account, my parents wanted me on private settings and warned me only to accept friend requests from people I knew well. I feel like more recently, it is harder for parents to control what exactly their kids are doing online.

What’s the future hold for social media? I can’t imagine social media not continuing to grow with advanced technology and money-making businesses. It’s hard to think about what else could be done in terms of social media and sites because of the growth we have already experienced in our lifetimes, but I don’t doubt us for a second.

What IS Social Media

· Facebook

· Snapchat

· Instagram

· Twitter

· Tiktok

· LinkedIn

· VSCO

· Groupme

· Pinterest

· Tumblr

What ISN’T Social Media

· My mom calling me on the phone

· Texting

· Email conversations (one on one)

· Horoscope app

· 2048 (game I am addicted to, I don’t believe it is social media because I no longer share my scores to Facebook for others to see)

· Camera

What I am UNSURE about

· Is moodle social media?

· Spotify? (leaning towards yes)

· Apps like uber/door dash because technically you have a profile and it facilitates some sort of interaction?

· Facetime? Since it facilitates face to face conversations?

· Buzzfeed? I don’t have an account, but I constantly scroll through, I also don’t make comments.

Fun Fact: my snapchat score is 1,485,976. I used to brag about that, but now I’m definitely more embarrassed about it.

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