The Brief: The viral #lonelychair trend on TikTok requires creators to construct tiny chairs out of miscellaneous items.

Bluesquiggle
DEEP DIVE

Social distancing, self isolating, and home quarantining is bringing out the creativity in people online, subsequently sparking the “lonely chair” trend. TikTokers are creating tiny chairs out of miscellaneous items and then sitting in them using the green screen effect. The lonely chair trend on TikTok was started by Chrissy Mahlmeister (@sweatmoustache). It is performed to a cover of Britney Spears’ “Baby One More Time” sung by artist Ki (@eyeamki).

Mahlmeister’s video, uploaded March 29, features her creating a small red chair out of Babybel cheese wheel packaging. She then used the app’s green screen effect to sit in it. The video has received over 252,000 likes and 2 million views on TikTok alone.

@sweatmoustachewait why does it look so real hahaha ##lonelychair ##reallifeathome ##TheSongOfUs ##greenscreen ##chair ##chairchallenge ##cheese ##fyp♬ hit me baby one more time by ki – eyeamki

Babybel got a kick out of the creative video and responded to Mahlmeister on social media.

She’s since repeated the trend with bread, Apple Airpods, and a Nintendo Switch. The trend is rising quickly, with the associated hashtag #LonelyChair accruing over 380 million views on TikTok.

@sweatmoustacheidk anymore ##lonelychair ##greenscreen ##airpods ##fyp ##cleaningszn ##reallifeathome ##distancedance♬ hit me baby one more time by ki – eyeamki

@sweatmoustachedecided 2 ~switch~ it up GET ITTTT sorry ##lonelychair ##greenscreen ##nintendoswitch ##nintendo ##animalcrossing ##gamer ##gamergirl ##fyp♬ hit me baby one more time by ki – eyeamki

TikTokers are now creating chairs out of random items, like Starbursts and Tide Pods.

@harrisonfraseri can’t with this! 😂 ##lonelychair ##yeet♬ hit me baby one more time by ki – eyeamki

@7qwehsg2.7rehshh_djrjiw##greenscreen ##lonelychair♬ hit me baby one more time by ki – eyeamki

The lonely chair trend on TikTok is completely transforming thanks to users like @ChristinaCarrotCakes. She used a sheet of toilet paper as a saddle and pretended to ride her pet bunny like a horse. This video garnered over 164,000 likes and 806,000 views within 17 hours.

@christinacarrotcakesThis ain’t our first rodeo 🐰🤠 YouTube&Insta christinacarrotcakes ✨ ##lonelychair ##greenscreen ##smallgestures ##bunny ##foryou ##fyp♬ hit me baby one more time by ki – eyeamki

User Chriselle Lim, aka, Your Rich Mom, took on the trend and created a mini spa bed out of a wallet and a few lipsticks. Her video has reached over 24,000 likes and 112,000 views in 15 hours.

@chrisellelimI miss going to the spa so I made my own ##lonelychair ##beauty ##skin ##skincare ##spa

♬ hit me baby one more time by ki – eyeamki