A new viral trend called ‘pay off my debt’ has taken over TikTok as users unite to eliminate student loans.
Based on data from EducationData.org, the average student in the United States has a loan debt of around $37,338 as of 2023, with private students facing an additional $20,000 in debt.
Despite being a significant amount for many individuals, the statistics indicate that even after 20 years since starting school, half of the student borrowers still have a remaining debt of $20,000.
In order to support each other in reducing student loans, TikTok users have developed a new trend that utilizes the social media platform’s Creator Rewards Program.
@jheisenburg If you’re reading this just know I appreciate you. I’m so happy we could share this moment ❤️🥣 #fyp #studentloans #viral #cereal #icarly #spencershay #whynotdatemedotcom
The concept behind the popular ‘pay off my debt’ trend is for viewers to continuously watch each other’s videos until the original creator gains enough views to become viral and earn a substantial amount of money.
User Jake, also known as ‘jheisenburg’ on his TikTok account, revealed that he had “crunched the numbers”and concluded that he required 247 million viewers to watch his video for at least five seconds in order to cover his loan.
To be eligible for TikTok’s program, videos must be at least one minute long. Jake found a solution to this requirement by filming himself eating cereal, as he didn’t have enough content to share.
Jake’s plan was met with immediate approval from viewers, with one user even proposing that all students participate in the scheme, saying “It’s like a pyramid scheme, except TikTok is footing the bill for everyone.”
Although he did not achieve his goal, Jake still accumulated over 25 million views and published a follow-up video revealing the outcome of his experiment.
@jheisenburg ⚠️ semi-professional yapper alert. The results you’ve been yearning for. (and one more appreciation for all of you. Especially @korras wifey ✩ for the edit) #fyp #viral #cereal #studentloans #cerealstudentloanguy #serialstudentloanguy #jheisenburg #thankyou #shrekshirt #update #onefellswoop
Jake clarified that the video did not completely pay off his student loans. However, it did generate a total of $4,200.
Although Jake’s video earnings were not sufficient to fully pay off his debt, he noted that they exceeded his previous monthly salary at his old job. He also mentioned that since their goal was not completely achieved, he would have to continue creating content.
Despite this, Jake’s video inspired the ‘pay off my debt’ trend, leading to an influx of TikTok users sharing their own experiences and offering support to each other in paying off their loans, even if it may not make a big impact.
“Jake praised the remarkable camaraderie that has arisen from this experience, not only for himself but for others as well. He encouraged everyone to congratulate themselves and take pride in their contributions.”
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