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SBU | Wellness > Sex + Relationships

TikTok’s Yellow Font Trend Is Saying What We’re Afraid To

Mackenzie Ingalsbe Student Contributor, St. Bonaventure University
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at SBU chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

The yellow font trend has been all over my TikTok “For You Page” lately, and I know I am not alone. But what exactly does it mean?

The trend often features a personal and vulnerable statement, typed out in yellow font over a video. At first, I scrolled past it without much thought, but once I started paying attention, I realized there was more to it. The yellow font trend follows a theory in which the color yellow is used to express emotional vulnerability and introspection.

However, there is a deeper meaning behind it. As a society, many of us have forgotten how to be vulnerable and how to accept not only our own feelings but other people’s as well. The trend works to highlight how people truly feel and encourages openness and emotional honesty.

Vulnerability is hard and is something we often forget because we don’t talk about it enough. Life is built on human connections and creating bonds based on honesty and openness. Being vulnerable is not a bad thing, but it can be scary.

It’s scary letting new people in and allowing them to see your true self. Being vulnerable in front of someone is the most honest thing you can do; it shows who you really are and how you truly think. But if vulnerability is so important, why do we tend to avoid it?

That question is different for everyone and only you can truly answer it for yourself. But what I can say is that being vulnerable is scary because of the worry about how people will view me once they see that side of me. Letting your guard down means giving someone the power to hurt you.

But the truth is, if someone doesn’t accept that side of you, they were never meant to be in your life. A true friend or even significant other will love all sides of you: the good, the bad, and the ugly. It’s easier to hear this than it is to believe it but believing it can make all the difference.

Being vulnerable means breaking down the wall you’ve built to protect yourself from rejection or judgement. That fear is often tied to survival instincts; your body wants to keep you safe. Letting this wall down can feel risky or scary because it leaves room for emotional pain.

The yellow font highlights how essential vulnerability is for emotional growth and meaningful relationships. It reminds us how important it is to let people see our true selves and allow others in, even when it feels uncomfortable or scary. Sometimes, being vulnerable is the best and bravest thing we can do.

Mackenzie Ingalsbe is a first time HerCampus writer for the St. Bonaventure chapter. She publishes articles weekly spanning many topics those of which including popculture and lifestyle. She hopes to further her writing skills and share with everyone what she has to say in the form of her weekly writings.

Mackenzie is currently a junior at St. Bonaventure University, studying public health with a focus in Occupational Therapy. She is currently on the 4+2 pathway to continue her graduate school at St.Bonaventure. Mackenzie has participated in Bonaventure Buddies in the past, and is a part of the Active Minds club, focusing on mental health.

Along with school, Mackenzie has interests in being surrounded by friends and family, hiking, going to the beach, and reading. She loves Taylor swift Noah Kahan, and Lewis Capaldi, and has a driven interest in being with her family, spending time with her younger cousins and being a part of their adventures. Along with this, she takes lots of trips, and will most likely decide a day or two before they would leave to go.