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And that’s your 2024 TikTok wrap.
TikTok revealed its top trends of the year, including Jools Lebron’s “very demure, very mindful” catchphrase, the fascination with a baby hippo named Moo Deng and Logan Moffitt’s cucumber-centric recipes.
Baby Animals
Many people across the globe were captivated by the emergence of two popular baby animals: Moo Deng and Pesto the Penguin. Both animals gained their claim to fame only a few months old.
“Moo Deng, the adorable pygmy hippo from Thailand, and Pesto, an oversized King Penguin from Australia, along with the other Knights of the Round Table, have captured the hearts of the Internet the world over,” said a TikTok statement.
People have become infatuated with Moo Deng and Pesto, following their daily routines on social media, selling animal-themed merchandise, and creating artwork inspired by animals.
“Their popularity transcended borders, not only connecting people with a shared love of animals but also sparking conversations around their welfare and preservation,” TikTok stated.
“Very demure, very mindful”
Influencer Jools Lebron exploded on social media, with over 54 million views, after reminding everyone why they should be “very demure, very mindful.”
Although the trending word and catchphrase rolled off her tongue in August, it was so infectious that Dictionary.com deemed it 2024’s Word of the Year.
Many influencers and celebrities, such as Olivia Rodrigo, Lindsay Lohan, and Khloe Kardashian, have even added “demure” to their vocabulary.
“#Demure trend not only coined a new phrase but also empowered self-expression and influenced various trends,” TikTok wrote in a statement.
Cucumber dishes
Logan Moffitt, a food influencer known as the “cucumber guy” who specializes in cucumber salads, experienced tremendous popularity in 2024 after sharing his cucumber recipes.
Moffitt uses the same cooking materials in his videos: a cucumber, mandoline and clear cylinder jar.
In his most viral TikTok, with over 43 million views, Moffitt makes his own version of a creamy cucumber California roll that entices many people’s appetites.
The desire to acquire cucumbers caused grocery stores to deal with a vegetable shortage. According to the senior vice president of merchandising at FreshDirect, the online grocer saw a 172% increase in cucumber sales in July over the previous year, which can be attributed to the TikTok trend.
Although his recipes garnered millions of views, they also sparked backlash, with a salmonella outbreak tied to cucumbers and an alleged increase in ER visits due to the cooking method.
Beginner cooks, like Jackson Dean, went viral after slicing his finger while using a mandoline, despite Moffitt telling viewers to “be mindful” when using the sharp tool.
TikTok continues to make an impression on today’s society by teaching them new food recipes, learning about endangered species, or elevating their vocabulary and mindset.
“Throughout 2024, TikTok continued to redefine how we discover, create, and connect through the shared language of video,” said James Stafford, TikTok’s Global Head of Content. “We celebrate our global community who have inspired and entertained us this year, as we remain committed to nurturing a positive and inclusive environment where everyone can bring joy, have a unique voice, and a chance to shine,”
