TikTokers of Costa

By Bella Macleod

Executive Features Editor

Senior Payton Smith does not let her six guideline violations hold her back when it comes to making TikToks.

Smith created her TikTok profile in October of 2018 and currently has 19,500 followers and 329,500 overall likes.

“I made [my account] when [TikTok] was announced to be a revival of Musical.ly because I wanted to see if the old stars [from Musical.ly] were on it,” Smith said. “It actually got funny as more people joined, so I stayed.”

Smith’s TikToks are considered to be comedic. Her favorite song  on the app is a cover of “Moonlight” and enjoys making TikToks to this song.

“I’ll make [a TikTok] once in every five months, or I’ll make a few in one week, or just whenever I get bored,” Smith said.

Smith first created her account as a joke to watch videos and make fun of TikTok stars, Smith said. 

“The best part is when kids at school make fun of me for it, because I absolutely deserve it,” Smith said. “I really don’t consider myself famous.”

Smith’s inspiration for making  her TikToks are what she thinks her friends will enjoy. She made one of her more popular TikToks titled “Nemo Cake in the Glass” that received over 322,000 views and blew up for no reason, Smith said. 

“I’ll just have a random thought, or my friends will say something funny that inspires me, and I’ll make it on the spot, no planning or forethought whatsoever,” Smith said.

By Lauren Mittleman

Features Editor

Senior Griffin Moore is one of the most famous students on TikTok amongst the Costa student body with 132,300 followers and 1.6 million likes.

Moore began using TikTok in June of last year, and hit 20,000 followers a few months later. In the middle of April, Moore reached 50,000 followers and  hit 100,000 in September.

“I’ve gained a majority of my followers through comedic videos and original content,” Moore said. “I come up with my ideas by drawing from my vast arsenal of nerdy-ness.”

Moore gets his inspiration from many people on TikTok, but his biggest role models would be @deanhassell and @thatgreygentleman.

“I downloaded TikTok originally because it seemed interesting and something that would be fun, and maybe make some people smile in the process,” Moore said.

Moore makes videos on TikTok using the original sound feature, where he makes his own video rather than lip-syncing to a song or using an already pre-existing sound. 

“The best part of being famous on TikTok is just knowing that I’m making a ton of people smile,” Moore said. “I plan on making TikTok videos well after I graduate high school, probably for at least another couple of years.”

By Bella Macleod

Executive Features Editor

Senior Ansley Rowell created her TikTok account in July of 2018 when it was still musical.ly. She has received a total of 152,700 overall likes on the app.

“I go on TikTok a lot less than I used to because college apps are taking over my life,” Rowell said. “So I probably go on it one to three times a week, and I make them like once every two weeks.”

Rowell receives the most views or likes on her random or strange TikToks, or the ones she puts the least amount of effort into, Rowell said. She also enjoys making TikToks that are set to other people’s voices or songs from musical theatre productions such as “Beetlejuice” or “Heathers.”

“When I’m making a video, it is typically just me thinking of something and either thinking it is funny or stupid, then immediately filming it without thinking any further,” Rowell said. 

Rowell’s favorite part about TikTok is being able to laugh at the people who take the app seriously, she said. She also enjoys creating TikTok dances with people she does not know.

“If I was meeting someone new, and they also used TikTok, I could reference a TikTok trend or popular funny video and it would be a good common ground for us to connect on,” Rowell said.

Last year, Rowell gained a majority of her following from the TikToks she and her fellow cast members made during the fall play.

“I’ll make TikToks until I don’t make myself laugh with them anymore,” Rowell said. “I’ll definitely stop by the time I go to college, unless I’m like crazy famous by then.”

By Lauren Mittleman

Features Editor

Senior Jenny Hawkins is among the most famous Mira Costa students on Tik Tok, with 33,500 followers and 883,400 likes.

According to Hawkins, she first downloaded the TikTok app as a joke, but continued making videos because she was having fun and eventually gained thousands of followers, views and likes on her videos.

“I posted a few video clips of some celebrities at the Teen Choice Awards that got a lot of views,” Hawkins said.

Hawkins started using TikTok in October of 2018, but did not gain the majority of her followers until the summer of 2019. Once the school year ended, she had more time to create TikToks and eventually became featured on the “For You Page,” a personalized feed section on TikTok that is based off of the videos a user typically views.

“Sometimes people come up to me at school and say they saw my videos on their ‘For You Page,’ which I think is cool, but sometimes I’m not sure what to say back,” Hawkins said.

Hawkins gets a lot of inspiration from comedy videos and sometimes beauty videos. Although she does not have a certain account that inspires her the most, she has befriended many new people through the app.

“I really like being able to connect with people in different parts of the country and world,” Hawkins said. “I’ve made some friends in different parts of the country who I don’t think I would have come in contact with if it weren’t for TikTok.”

Hawkins plans to continue making Tik Toks in the future but does not want to make a career out of it, said Hawkins.

“If an opportunity came up for me to make a career out of [TikTok], then I would not be completely opposed to it, but the odds of it happening are really low for a majority of people,” Hawkins said.