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TikTok’s “Things I Ate & Survived” Trend Will Make You LOL

Spoiler: It’s not literal by any means.

TikTok’s “Things I Ate & Survived” Trend Will Make You LOL
Daniel Lozano Gonzalez/Moment/Getty Images

If you’re on TikTok, you know the app consistently provides top-tier entertainment with its bizarre food recipes, filters that you love to hate, and so much more. The latest trend to take the app by storm is no exception — from embarrassing middle school photos to concerning meals, the “Things I Ate and Survived” trend basically proves we should all know less about each other, and I’m loving it, TBH.

Unlike most trends on the app, you don’t have to make a video to participate. Instead, the “Things I Ate and Survived” trend can be done with just two pictures, thanks to TikTok’s carousel feature that lets you post pictures like a photo dump on Instagram. The first slide features a photo of the subject (i.e. your cat, dog, family member, or yourself) with the text “Things I ate and survived” plastered on top of it. IYDK, “ate” is a slang term for pulling something off, like an outfit or a photo shoot, so the second slide usually includes some sort of misdirect, like a photo of an old haircut that’s so bad it’s good or a hilarious Halloween costume. Thank goodness people on TikTok have no shame because the trend is seriously a comedy goldmine.

It’s unclear who started the viral meme format, but considering the hashtag #thingsIateandsurvived has accrued over 28.6 million views as of April 28, it’s safe to say the trend has found its target audience. One of the first users to go viral with the trend was @niaxain, who you may recognize from the viral Sausage Rap video from Vine.

With this trend, it seems like the more humiliating your throwback pic is, the better. Just ask @alexahoskin9, who isn’t afraid to laugh about their eighth grade graduation outfit all the years later.

Our furry friends can serve looks, too, so it’s only fair their most flattering pictures be included in the trend, like this saucy snap of @zeinab.ao’s cat.

Though the cringe-worthy throwback pics are entertaining enough as it is, some people have opted to take the prompt literally, and the results will either have you gasping in shock or gasping for air.

If you share @haailey.lynn’s feelings about eggs, you get it. If you don’t, you don’t.

People with pets who eat everything in sight can probably relate to this video from @sydliterallysucks a little too much.

So glad @itstherosenthals lived to tell the tale of the time their mom accidentally mistook bath salts (yes, bath salts) for regular salt.

I mean...this TikTok from @keelieandersonn says it all.

As long as people (and pets) keep eating things, both literally and figuratively, it’s safe to assume this trend isn’t going anywhere. If you don’t want your most hilarious faux pas to go viral on TikTok, let this be a warning to delete all your embarrassing pics from high school off of Facebook for good, and to read the label carefully before adding more salt to your dinner.