【China】

Until recently,China every day-in-the-life video on TikTok followed the same format: a series of clips taken throughout someone's day with a voiceover providing context. Now, a new format is gaining momentum.

Daily vlogs are some of the most prolific edits on TikTok. The "day in the life" tag has over 10.5 billion views, and under it you can find a day-in-the-life video from just about any kind of person, from college students to corporate lawyers.

In September 2022, TikTok launched their slideshow feature, photo mode, which allows creators to post up to 35 photos in a carousel similar to Instagram. It was a marked shift in the video-first platform's future strategy for audience retention and time spent on the app — and part of a larger trend of social media companies trying to be the onlysocial destination on the internet. TikTok automatically cycles through these slideshows at an extremely slow pace, but you can also take matters into your own hands and swipe through them yourself.

---

You May Also Like

---

---

When photo mode first dropped, TikTok became inundated with carousels of memes, photos, and quotes recycled from other platforms, but now slideshows are being used in a more inventive way: for day-in-the-life content.

Mashable Trend Report Decode what’s viral, what’s next, and what it all means. Sign up for Mashable’s weekly Trend Report newsletter. By clicking Sign Me Up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Thanks for signing up!

SEE ALSO: TikTok's photo mode is killing my FYP

A creator can now take you through an outing or an entire day, moment by moment, by creating a slideshow of irreverent photos with silly captions all punctuated with quirky emojis. And I meanmoment by moment; they are taking full advantage of the 35-photo maximum. It's similar to the "my 2022 eras" trend where TikTokkers utilized photo mode to document all their 2022 eras, but on a much smaller scale, which makes the photos messier and more interesting to a nosey viewer.

The trend is more in line with chaotic photo dumps and the unfiltered nature of BeReal than the highly aestheticized day-in-the-life vlogs that dominate the platform. This points to an overall shift in how young people are ditching curated perfection for more naturalism.

As a vocal hater of photo mode, I was surprised by how charming I find this new style of day-in-the-life videos. In one, user @aniyahmaorinia takes us to a ballet class, and in another, @justjazzyidk wakes up, goes to the gym, and gets Starbucks. It's totally mundane, and yet the trend assumes a level of familiarity with the viewer and feels like more like you're being Snapchatted by the creator or watching their close friends Story on Instagram. For example, in a video posted by @_partrickkelly, he gets ready for work and does his morning commute before captioning one photo with, "Wait ummm I had no clue I had a 9am call."

---

Related Stories

---

• In the age of TikTok, the female gaze has lost all meaning
• Here's why women are showing off their bedside tables on TikTok
• TikTok's Lucky Girl Syndrome is the latest regurgitation of 'The Secret'
• You're not getting old, concerts are weird now

So much more fun than a traditional vlog. Credit: TikTok / @_patrickkelly, @justjazzyidk

While there is still a level of hyper-awareness on the creator's part, it appears to be less effort for them and more a more authentic presentation of their digital self, which makes it more enjoyable for me to watch.

So, yeah, photo dumps are the new daily vlogs. You heard it here first.

• Social Good
• Games
• Deals
• Entertainment
• Science
• Life
• Digital Culture
• Tech

• Wrath of Conway
• JD Logistics upgrades “next
• Jeff Bezos commits $10 billion to fight climate change
• If you're waiting for a touchscreen MacBook, we've got bad news
• Law and Disorder
• US chipmaker Qorvo sells assembly and test facilities in China to Luxshare · TechNode
• Chinese video site Bilibili declares “Ah?” its word of the year 2023 · TechNode
• Hundreds of pooping vultures occupy CBP radio tower in Texas
• Apex Predators and Elena Ferrante
• Chinese robot startup AGIBOT completes $85 million financing round: report · TechNode

• Facebook Messenger makes it easier to find perfect emoji reaction
• Twitter suspends Marjorie Taylor Greene over false COVID vaccine tweets
• Everthing coming to Amazon Prime Video in August
• Prince Harry is writing a memoir to tell his story in his own words
• Luke Prokop becomes first openly gay player on NHL contract
• How to view an Instagram story without logging in
• Meryl Streep and Ai
• How to find out if someone blocked you on Instagram
• Google's Wear OS 3 smartwatch update will be available in 2022
• Trump rumors are fun, but they're a dangerous fantasy

• Visiting Day
• Car tech firm iMotion shares slump 13% in Hong Kong debut · TechNode
• How to connect your AirPods to a computer or laptop
• Conservationists are petitioning for a dugong emoji
• Presente at Carnival
• Xiaomi responds to automatic opening of smart door lock · TechNode
• China's BYD, Chery, SAIC planning EV production in Mexico: report · TechNode
• #Blockout2024: Why people are blocking celebrities on social media
• The Map and the Territory
• Why did the coyote and badger cross under the road? To avoid a serious problem caused by humans.

• So Long, Parchment Barriers
• ByteDance reportedly earns $110 billion in 2023 · TechNode
• When will OpenAI's GPT
• RCB vs. DC 2024 livestream: Watch IPL for free
• The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Chaturbator
• How Apple will keep its new iPad Pro from bending
• Xiaohongshu clarifies no immediate plans for going public · TechNode
• US chipmaker Qorvo sells assembly and test facilities in China to Luxshare · TechNode
• Shoot First, Ask Questions Later
• The women getting guys to rate their nudes on Reddit