Content on TikTok has changed so much over the last couple of years. We have seen a shift to a more natural style of content, and with this, we have settled and found our favorite creators.
My “For You Page” is filled with the same small batch of creators. I think I have found a safe space within their content because they encompass all I want to become – hard-working women with strong values and a “do what makes you happy” attitude. I’ve noticed such a mindset shift since I started watching their TikToks, and it just shows how much the content you absorb can influence you.
Among these creators, I have created a small niche that I like to call the older sisters of TikTok. Personally, as an older sister who wishes she had an older sister, these three creators have filled that role in my life.
thejarr
Eli Rallo perfectly embodies the older sister of TikTok. She is a New York City based journalist who attended the University of Michigan where she pursued theatre and then got her master’s degree at Columbia University. I started watching Eli’s videos when she first went viral for filling up a jar with snacks and I have found such a safe space in her “team” – what she calls her followers – since.
“I started my page as an accident after going accidentally viral,” Rallo said. “I guess we call that serendipity, or a happy accident, for a reason! My content feels most genuine and authentic to me currently in the direction it’s been going. Also, it feels the most genuine and authentic to my audience, who I truly care for most at the end of the day. My team is my everything!”
With over 452,000 followers on TikTok, Eli is a big inspiration behind this article. She finds joy in every aspect of life, and we can fully see this through her celebration of each day. From ‘buy your coffee Friday,” “planless Saturdays” and “Chipotle Sundays,” she teaches her followers to find joy in each new day and to live life with purpose.
I think a big part of what makes her the older sister of TikTok is her vulnerability and how unafraid she is to speak up. “I can’t believe I just said tits during a Ted Talk,” she wrote on her Instagram post after she gave a ted talk at TEDxUofM. She’s talked about her relationship with social media, her eating disorder, breast reduction and journey with anxiety so openly, and it has made her a creator who we can turn to when we need a break from the manicured feeds that highlight nothing but the perfect life. Eli leads by example and teaches us we shouldn’t dim our lights for others.
“All I truly hope is that those who watch my videos feel heard and seen if they’d been struggling to feel heard and seen. If they feel heard and seen already, amazing, but then my job becomes making them smile, making them laugh and maybe just making life a smidge more entertaining and lighthearted, especially now with everything going on in the world” she said. Her regular “asks, advice, anything” question boxes fill her Instagram stories and give her followers a safe space to open up.
Thejarr is a celebration of our lives, the imperfect and perfect moments and loving every aspect in between.
hugewormgirl.med
I only have good things to say about Amanda – who is currently in her second year of medical school after doing her undergrad at Baylor University. In a way, she reminds me so much of myself, and as a pre-med student, her account has allowed me to learn everything really does work out in the end.
I started watching Amanda’s TikToks as a curious high school junior who was in love with medicine but often read too many intimidating Reddit posts. With over 52,000 followers on TikTok, she is truly all I aspire to be as I go through college with hopes of medical school and making a difference beyond myself.
“I never had an intention to have a TikTok following. Only my friends followed me and then a few of my videos got lots of views and here we are now!” Amanda said. “My content doesn’t really have any direction. I basically post whatever I want from advice to dog videos to me crying over a boy. I never intended to be a “influencer” and being a student is still #1; TikTok is basically just an outlet.”
Her content truly reflects her personality and reminds us that it’s important to go after what you love.
Amanda fits the mold of the TikTok older sister perfectly. I initially started following her for pre-med advice and have gotten so much information from her, but her account has become so much more than that to me. Her love for pediatrics and medicine and overall joy for everything that she’s working toward is infectious and an attitude I have adopted. Amanda’s vulnerability and willingness to share what is going on with her life make her someone who is so easy to connect with.
“My goal with my TikTok account is to simply show people that medicine and medical school is very attainable,” she said. “I know it’s this big scary thing for pre-meds, but it shouldn’t be. Everyone in medicine is just a normal person who works really hard to achieve their dreams. I want young people to feel like it’s possible for them too.” Amanda created a safe space among the toxic hustle culture that is found among pre-meds.
Her account has shown me that there will always be ups and downs but if you keep your head up and work hard, all your dreams are possible.
clairecancook
I have clicked “not interested” on dozens of “what I eat in a day” videos on TikTok in the past – that is, until I found Claire’s account. Claire is a gluten-free and vegan college student who is clearly passionate about food and living her life with a positive attitude.
“I started my Claire Can Cook Instagram when I was very young (14) and needed a place to express myself with food. Four years later I started my TikTok to share a more personal side of my life and make connections with people of common interests” Claire, who’s done just that, said. Her page now sports a following of over 34,000 on TikTok.
With young audiences on TikTok, I believe that it’s important for creators to know how much of an impact they can have and how much they influence our behaviors. “I hope to lead by example for my viewers to have a healthy relationship with food and a celebratory attitude towards life,” Claire said.
Claire’s content extends beyond her classic “what I eat in a day” videos. We also get to see aspects of her life like her love for fashion and nature. Among the thousands of food accounts on TikTok, clairecancook is unique in the way that it removes any association that anyone has ever placed on food – she shares recipes and her love for food without any labels, placing emphasis on listening to your body and providing it with what it needs.
“Though my content is food and veganism related, I very purposely have made sure to make it anti-diet culture. I try never to use words like “healthy” or talk about calories. I honestly really just want to be the vegan influencer I wish I had when I was becoming vegan” she said.
Claire also hosts a podcast called “The Claire Can Cook Podcast,” in which she hosts conversations about life, eating and the culture around food. I think her content is extremely important in a time when the media is constantly idealizing bodies and promoting unhealthy habits. Claire’s account is a nice break in our feeds from the toxicity on TikTok.
Claire’s positive outlook on life and encouragement for self-love is something we could all learn from. Her energy is so infectious and teaches us how important it is to listen to your body and love it for all it gives us while celebrating the small and big moments in our lives.
Eli, Amanda, and Claire have so much to give. Their TikToks are nothing but real, vulnerable and honest and create such a safe space for people to be the truest versions of themselves. Getting them to contribute to this article was such a great experience that just reinforced how much they love what they are doing. The three older sisters of TikTok teach us that life is truly worth celebrating and that we all have a purpose and place in the world.