From the Interns: TikTok Made Me Buy It

We’ve all been there: scrolling through TikTok minding your own business, when an ad for something you didn't know you needed pops up. You hit buy now, and a few days later, you're left wondering: Did this product change my life, or was it all just the TikTok hype? With TikTok’s constant flow of must-have products, from kitchen gadgets to beauty tools to clothing and more, it's easy to get sucked in. But once those products arrive at your doorstep, reality kicks in. Sometimes they do live up to the internet hype and other times they leave you wondering what I was thinking.
The Dyson Airwrap has been making the rounds on TikTok for a while, with influencers and beauty enthusiasts promising it is the ultimate solution for achieving gorgeous salon-quality hair from your own home. With its promises of perfect curls, tons of volume, and no frizz, all without the damage caused by your average hot styling tools, it's easy to find out why so many people choose to click buy. That is until you see the price: $500! You wonder how so many people could just throw their money away on a product so easily.

So how do people really feel about TikTok-style shopping sprees? I talked to a few NYC students to find out.
“Yes, TikTok does influence me to buy a bunch of different things,” said one high school junior. “I was influenced to buy the famous Owala because it was all over my for you page and I realized that half my school had it, so I added it to my cart.”

When sophomore Christine was asked whether her $100 Medicube skincare set was worth the hype, she laughed and shook her head. “I mean, it was alright, but that amount of money just felt insane to spend on such a small set. But my friends, plus social media, seemed to love it, so I gave it a try.”

However, another junior had a different experience. “I actually love my $19 TikTok Shop PacSun jeans,” she said. “The sale was saleing, and they were way cheaper than what I’d usually spend on jeans.”

As much as we love to hate new TikTok products, it's hard to deny that the platform has insane power. TikTok has a way of creating trends that almost seem too good to miss. Once a product gains momentum, it feels like everyone has to have it and if you don't, you're missing out. The truth is, that TikTok trends sometimes can be more about the idea of the product rather than the actual performance. But that's the gamble of social media shopping. Sometimes you score while other times you end up with a purchase that only sits on your shelf.

So should you buy it? Do you need to spend $500 for the famous Dyson Airwrap? If you love beauty gadgets and are looking for something super-high quality and don't mind spending money why not? However, if you are more of a minimalist and simply don't feel the need to spend money on something for such a significant price, you're likely better off looking for cheaper alternatives that can give you the same result. But hey no judgment here sometimes these impulse purchases are the way to go.