I’m sure I’m not the only one that spends hours upon hours scrolling through TikTok, not just for entertainment, but also for some comfort. Whether it’s a celebrity edit, a book review or a mesmerizing cooking series, we all have something that brings us warmth and makes us feel happy. 19-year-old Adriana Cazares, @realnotslimbutshady on TikTok, is that kind of creator for many college girls, including myself.
Cazares is a sophomore at the University of North Florida studying social studies education and art history. She describes herself as “passionate” whether it is towards school, work or social media. Besides focusing on school, she works two jobs (at a boutique and restaurant) and keeps her followers engaged with her vlogs, book recommendations and “get ready with me” videos. Cazares also expressed to me how passion is important to her because she believes that “if you’re passionate about something, it’ll bring out the best in that thing.” I sat down with her and talked about her life and how social media has impacted it. Continue reading to learn what she said about her experience as a college content creator!
Her Campus (HC): How has social media, more specifically TikTok, changed your life in both positive and negative ways?
Adriana Cazares (AC): TikTok has 100 percent changed my life in mostly positive ways. I would say that I feel like I’m helping people, which is probably my favorite part about having a following. I feel like when I record my days, I have ups and downs and go through life as a college student while showing the good, the bad and the ugly. This can help other people understand that they are not alone and everyone is trying to navigate college and high school. Another positive way that TikTok has changed my life is that I have been given the opportunity to meet people that I would not have met otherwise. I wouldn’t say that there are many negative ways that TikTok has affected my life. I don’t think you have to have a certain number of followers to receive hate. I have gotten negative comments, but I try not to think of them because I know whoever is typing them behind the keyboard is making fun of me because they have an insecurity that they don’t want to admit.
HC: You have mentioned in various TikToks how you want to become a high school history teacher. If your following on social media continues to grow, would you be open to reconsidering your career? Why or why not?
AC: I have wanted to be a teacher since I was very little, and I have always had a passion for teaching and helping others. I love sharing my life online, but I think social media is an unstable career. If my social media grew exponentially for some weird reason, I would reconsider. Unless I knew that I had a solid career in it, then I would not reconsider because I want stability in life.
HC: How do you manage your schoolwork, social life, jobs and social media?
AC: With the type of content that I make, it’s not a massive detour out of my everyday routine. I might have to take an extra 15 minutes, but it is not huge. I try to vlog whenever I have something interesting going on. I have school two days a week for about five hours, and then I usually work night jobs. On the days I don’t have school, I work all day. I don’t really have days off, but I enjoy that. I like staying busy. I manage everything by keeping a planner and having people hold me accountable because I have a horrible memory, and I drink a lot of coffee.
HC: What is something you want to happen in your social media career?
AC: Something that I would really enjoy is finding something that I enjoy doing and my followers enjoy watching. For example, I love talking about books on social media.
HC: On your TikTok, you talk a lot about your favorite books. What is one book that you feel (as a woman in college) embodies your life the most accurately?
AC: I don’t think I have a book that would describe my life right now, but if I could recommend a book for women in college to read, it would be You Are a Badass by Jen Sincero. For fiction, I would recommend reading anything by Colleen Hoover or The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab. Another book I love is Women Don’t Owe You Pretty by Florence Given. I think it needs to be read by all college girls because it talks about modern feminism, self-love and self-acceptance.
HC: What is one piece of advice you could give girls to motivate them into being their authentic selves while in the college environment?
AC: I have two younger sisters and this is what I try to teach them. You are only ever going to see yourself through your own eyes. You are only going to live this life, and you are only going to be in this body once. Why would you not do everything in your power to make the best of it and make yourself happy? You are the only one that matters in this movie of your life. Now, I am not saying you need to be mean, disrespectful or hurt others on purpose, but you should never put your happiness as second. You are going to do what you want to do, and people are going to talk about you. Girls especially are always going to have something to say. You can wear the dress, you cannot wear the dress, you can eat it, you cannot eat it—people are still going to talk about you. You might as well do what you want and let people talk.
HC: What is one part about social media that you dislike or wish you did not have to deal with?
AC: I put a large portion of my life on the internet, and I am okay with that because I choose to do it, but sometimes people think they have the right to know about other aspects of my life or get offended when I don’t share certain aspects of my life. I think that is a little unfair because I don’t think I owe it to anyone to put my whole life on the internet. I wish people could realize when I don’t want to talk about something.
This interview was edited for length and clarity.
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