There are so many stressors in life: school work, family responsibilities, and all of the things that come with being human. The world is so fast-paced, and it seems like there is always a new trend every 5 minutes. You want to enjoy life, but everything that once seemed enjoyable when you were a kid is now labelled cringe.
Is whimsy, according to TikTok, really cringe?
The whimsy trend: how it all began
The whimsy trend gained traction in 2025, with the TikTok creator Abigail Bailey posting a video asking viewers, “What are some little things you do to be more whimsical?”
The comments section is flooded with cutesy and creative responses, and the video now has over 1.3 million views. Why has this whimsical response to life gained so much popularity? Well, there’s a science behind whimsy, according to an article published by the Rocky Mountain Relational Therapy website.
When we break out of the pattern of our usual day-to-day activities and add spontaneity to our lives, like making a fancy drink instead of making our usual one, we activate the part of our brain that craves stimulation and excitement. In a world where things feel fast-paced and monotone, whimsy is much needed, but it’s getting dismissed by people as childish.
Dismissing whimsy as childish
Some people are dismissing whimsy as childish because of its playful nature. A lot of people assume that just because we grow up, we have to tone down our playfulness or whimsy for life. All of us have a whimsical side, and we suppress this as we get older.
With the pressures of social media and an ever-changing world, whimsy is not talked about enough in the real world, and not speaking about it silences our desires for self-expression and creativity. There is a pressure to “be an adult,” to be put-together and know how to do everything. We have grown up in a world where whimsy is encouraged as kids, but that is what’s expected of us, but there is no age for whimsy.
Whimsy is not just an aesthetic that the digital world only makes it out to be. It is in the way we can give each other nicknames and the way we romanticize doing our chores. Whimsy is not childish; it is a way to think about life instead of just letting life happen to you.
Whimsy is a way to navigate uncertainty
During uncertain and troubling times, whimsy is a way for us to step out of the ordinary and into the fanciful and peculiar things of life. It is really hard as young people to find ways to escape the mundane aspects of life and the stress of living in a fast-paced society, but there are ways to end this cycle of normalcy.
One way is to view whimsy as a mindset, and not as an aesthetic. The main criticism of the whimsy trend is that it is made to be very consumeristic and lacks nuance in its aesthetic. Overall, it has been transformed into something to buy or a style to fit into, but whimsy is not an aesthetic. It’s a lifestyle and can not be put into a box.
An example of whimsy in everyday life would be dressing up in a way that feels the most authentic to you, making a cute iced coffee instead of your usual drink, or even adding fairy lights to a plain dorm room. It is a conscious effort to add whimsical and extraordinary things to our otherwise repetitive lives.
Navigating repetitiveness and uncertainty in our lives is important, and it helps us see the brighter side of things and the world. We should view whimsy as a cultural shift from taking life so seriously and by bringing back creativity, fun, and pleasure to our lives.
Can whimsy Remain A Lifestyle, Or Is It Just A Trend?
Right now, the whimsy trend is still ongoing, and it has made its place on social media, especially TikTok, but how can we make it a long-lasting lifestyle, and not just a trend?
First, we have to change our perceptions of the word whimsy and what is really cringy. Is trying to find happiness and joy really cringy, or is it just something society has told us for far too long?
We need to find joy in this world as a society, especially during these troubling times. Figuring out how to embrace the whimsical side of things takes conscious effort and persistence. For example, we can leave a positive impact by leaving sweet messages around our local college campuses to add brightness to someone’s day. That also counts as whimsy. This is how we take it far beyond social media. It is not just something that we can put into a box. Whimsy is far more complex than just an Instagram post or a TikTok video.
Only time will tell if whimsy will become a lifestyle among us or if it will just remain a trend. It is up to us to take action, to allow ourselves to seek out the magical things in life, and to make the world a better place by being kind and playful in a society where things may appear dark.
Overall, whimsy is not just a trend; it’s a mentality, and when we use this mentality for the greater good of society, we make the planet a sweeter place to live, and it impacts all of us in a positive way.
Allowing whimsy to be a part of our lives is something we have to do in order to live well and to bring light to the darkness. Even if TikTok and Instagram never existed, whimsy is still needed, and hopefully, it will remain in all of us for generations to come.
Adding whimsy to my life has impacted me in a positive way. The things that I do to add whimsy to my life are dressing up even when I’m not going anywhere special, adding almond milk to my chai lattes instead of regular dairy milk, and adding fun stickers to my laptop instead of leaving it plain.
In the end, is it really cringe?
My relationship with whimsy has grown over the years. What started as a small mood boost has turned into a lifestyle, and I find myself adding even more of it to my routine, especially as a college student navigating deadlines and finals. At the end of the day, whimsy should be viewed as a joy, a simple but life-changing mindset shift that can turn your life around, even if it’s just one sticker added to your laptop or one special drink made just for yourself. It’s an act of self-care; a way of allowing your days to become freer and more exciting. Even through the constant buzz of the world, whimsy is still alive in all of us, and maybe a little bit of cringe is exactly what we need.
