TikTok Trends January 2026
Politics, Sex, & Religion.
My three favorite topics that everyone's Mother warns them aren't appropriate for the dinner table. This week one of our ACN members asked me how to handle posting when there are crises or controversial moments happening in the culture.
It's something growing a career online will force you to face. COVID, George Floyd, Israel & Palestine… I've witnessed and posted through all of them. I've led social media communities and brands through these times. I've made mistakes, I've been called names.
The internet loves to pretend some issues aren't political when they absolutely are. Families separated. Children caught in the conflict. Any mother (regardless of party affiliation) can feel her heart break learning these stories. That emotional response is human.
But the policy? The response? How we got there? It’s all interwined with politics.
Here are my thoughts:
1) Amplify the voices of those on the ground. Facts, minorities, trusted journalists
Your platform is powerful, but it's not always the right megaphone for every message. When crisis hits, resist the urge to be the main character of someone else's tragedy. Instead, share reporting from credible journalists. Elevate the voices of people directly impacted. Link to organizations doing the work. Your role isn't always to have the take. Sometimes it's to make sure the right voices get heard. Do your homework. Verify sources. And when you share, add context about why you trust this source or why this perspective matters.
2) Get clear on your message and practice it offline before you bring it online
If you're going to speak up, know what you actually believe and why. Talk it through with trusted friends. Write it out in your notes app. Sleep on it. This isn't about being calculated. It's about being thoughtful. When you post from a place of clarity rather than reaction, you're less likely to regret your words later or get pulled into performative allyship. Ask yourself: Am I posting this because I genuinely care, or because I'm afraid of what silence might signal? Both can be valid, but know which one is driving you. And remember, your message doesn't have to be perfect, but it should be yours and honest.
3) Don't be surprised by blowback. Expect it, be prepared for it, and don't let it shake you
2025's Oxford word of the year? Rage bait. You know it. You feel it online when a video you post about your socks somehow becomes a battleground in the comments. Lucie B Fink has been talking about this. The daily, mundane rage that's just simmering in every corner of the internet, waiting to boil over at the smallest provocation.
When you speak on something that matters, someone will be angry. They'll misread you intentionally. They'll unfollow. They'll leave comments that make you want to delete everything.
Look at what happened to Ms. Rachel. She stood up for her beliefs, posted about something she cared about, and the internet was BRUTAL. A children's educator beloved by millions of parents attacked, dissected, told she should "stay in her lane." The vitriol was shocking. And yet, she didn't back down from who she is. Still she gets accused of being an anti-semite, when that has never been her message or agenda. Fame has its downfalls, y’all.
Decide in advance what your boundaries are. Will you engage with criticism? Delete hateful comments? Turn off replies entirely? There's no wrong answer, but decide before you're drowning in notifications. And here's what I wish someone had told me earlier: you cannot control how people receive your message. You can only control whether you said something true to you.
The truth is, silence is also a choice. You don't have to post about everything. You don't owe the internet your opinion on every crisis. But when something aligns with your values, when it touches your community, when you genuinely have something to add to the conversation. PLEASE for the love of God, don't let fear of the blowback be the only thing that stops you. Take It from Jenna.
What's been inspiring me lately is discovering mom creators who are using their voices in interesting, authentic ways. Like Christan. I don't agree with her on everything, but I'm so inspired by how she uses her voice and stays true to herself, tackling hard topics but also in creative ways.
We build our careers online by being real people, not perfectly polished brands. And real people care about things that matter, even when… especially when… it's uncomfortable.
The dinner table is supposed to be a safe place to have the hard conversations.
And a creator’s role — has always been — to contribute to the discussion.
To make the others think, to make art, to use the tools they have to contribute to the social discourse.
Shoutout to these ACN members who over the weekend took on these emotional, crisis situations with powerful sentiments and storytelling: Kendall, Zoila, Mariela, Sammi.
And even to brands like Cocokind that are community-led and social-first… reminding us brands are made by humans, too.
What Year Were You Born?
This trend is taking over offices right now. It’s a silly little social moment that’s easy to film if you want to have some fun with your team.
How it works:
You walk around the office and ask people their birth year.
The 2000s babies: If they were born in 2001 or 2002, the video stays normal.
The 1900s crew: As soon as a millennial or older person says "Nineteen-ninety something," the video cuts to photo edits with dinosaurs, cavemen, or the Big Bang (they basically are saying those born in the 90s are ancient beings. (They basically are saying those born in the 90s are ancient beings. I dunno about you but sometimes I do feel a lil vintage, a lil classic).
The trend with a twist:
The real fun of any trend isn’t in simply following the template; it’s in the personal twist that each person brings. In this case, the twist is doing the opposite.
If someone answers with "19-something," the video plays it straight.
But if they say "20-something," the video cuts to photos of them edited as babies, Cocomelon characters, and the like.
Example: Vintage, Blacklight, Luxegen, Mamamia, Tavern, Barbers.
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