The Brief: Alt TikTok, also known as Elite TikTok is a TikTok subculture featuring eccentric, alternative content.
DEEP DIVE
The opposite of Straight TikTok, Alt TikTok, or Elite TikTok is a non-mainstream side of TikTok known for its quirky and bizarre videos. Self-proclaimed members of Alt TikTok often refer to it as the “cool side,” emphasizing how their non-traditional content makes for more entertaining videos, and making fun of straight TikTok for being boring.
Much of the content on Alt or Elite TikTok is meant to be shocking, unsettling, and weird. Rather than focusing on appealing aesthetics, catchy songs, or replicable dance moves, creators on Alt TikTok often share content that goes against the usual formula for making viral TikTok videos. For those who are deeply immersed in this side of TikTok, such videos may become commonplace. The TikTok’s algorithm’s ability to feed users content catered to their specific tastes means that those who are on Alt TikTok may rarely see content from Straight TikTok and vice versa.
As the very premise of Elite TikTok is to be out of the mainstream, content is usually unpredictable. Within the Elite TikTok category, there are subcategories including Frog TikTok, Beans TikTok, Retail TikTok, Jason Earles TikTok, and Elmo TikTok. This includes deep-fried visuals paired with eerie songs, accounts that impersonate anthropomorphized retail stores, frog fan art, and more. Certain sounds and trends go viral within Elite TikT0k, but not usually in a linear pattern like they would on Straight TikTok.
@patrickzajac an artistic representation of what my fyp looks like #alttiktok #foreigner #lashawnaball #jasonearles #burlington #beans #elmo #pathicc #xuehuapiao
@duckswilltakeover
@rotateandroll the people need to see. 💕 #foreign #elmo #NotOneThing #pleasehelpme #foryou #alttiktok #hamburger #cheese #tre
@isseypovs POV : you and your best friend are arguing at a party until your favourite song starts playing
@sm6band Brought to you by the CEOs of #EliteTikTok #sm6band #fyp
@officialgeicoinsurance i’ve replaced george 🥰 @sm6band #saveadam2020 #alttiktok #deeptiktok #elitetiktok #insurancetiktok