TikTok is the number one social media for platforming incendiary takes. Ten years ago, Tumblr was the undisputed master of this art. People (and by people, I mostly mean tweens) would post wild and crazy takes just to get roasted by all of the other tweens on the website. Now, it’s all happening on TikTok, and full-grown adults are constantly falling for the jokes that Gen Z posts. 

I know it’s difficult to decipher tone on the internet. When you see some teen posting a bonkers statement on TikTok, it’s easy to believe that they’re being sincere. I’m going to let you in on a little secret: Gen Z knows how to make jokes. The majority of the TikTok screenshots (if not all of them) that lie before you are jokes, and that’s okay! Just because you think something is funny because it’s earnest doesn’t make it any less funny once it’s revealed to be a bit. You can still enjoy the crazy world of TikToks without having to open the app once.