The ‘She Doesn't Know It Yet’ TikTok trend showcases women sharing pre-trauma moments, highlighting life's unpredictability and resilience.
What is the ‘She Doesn't Know It Yet’ TikTok trend?
The "She Doesn't Know It Yet" TikTok trend features users posting videos capturing moments before a significant, often traumatic, event. They are typically accompanied by the caption starting with "She doesn't know it yet but..." followed by a traumatic reveal.
The trend's emotional impact is amplified by the melancholic background music, typically "DIM" by Yves. The song's slow, moody beat enhances the feeling of nostalgia, loss, or suspense. Audiences are captivated by the unpredictability of life and the raw vulnerability displayed in these short clips.
Variations on the ‘She Doesn't Know It Yet’ trend
While the majority of these videos focus on unfortunate or shocking events, some creators have put a positive spin on the trend. Instead of tragic experiences, they use it to highlight life-changing happy moments. Examples include meeting a future spouse, getting accepted into a dream school, or becoming a parent.
Others take a comedic approach, using the format to poke fun at everyday struggles—like realizing they have to wake up early for work or that an upcoming test is going to be much more difficult than expected. This versatility has contributed to the trend’s widespread popularity, as it resonates with TikTokers across different emotional spectrums.
Psychology of posting about traumatic stories
Sharing personal traumas on social media can serve multiple psychological purposes. According to the social identity model of traumatic identity change (SIMTIC), sharing traumatic experiences can foster a new social identity. This can provide meaning to the trauma and create emotional connections with others who have had similar experiences. However, excessive sharing without boundaries, known as "trauma dumping," can negatively impact both the sharer and the audience. High levels of stress and social isolation can increase the likelihood of trauma dumping. This is especially true among those who haven't developed effective coping skills.
According to a study published in Nature, the connection and community fostered by social media platforms such as TikTok is a "double-edged sword." The authors write, "Belonging to social groups can be beneficial in providing resources and social support when experiencing stress, and this benefit can be accessed today from geographically remote locations. However, the transmission of ingroup members’ experiences can also be detrimental, particularly when such experiences are traumatic."
'She Doesn't Know It Yet' trend examples
One notable example is TikToker Rachel (@racheljane8), who posted a video of herself jogging with the text overlay, "She doesn't know it yet but in 5 minutes time, she's going to trip over a gate stopper, break her pelvis, dislocate her hip and find herself left permanently disabled." This TikTok video garnered over 26.8 million views and over 3 million likes.
Another example is from TikToker @jazzthornton_, who shared a clip of herself at a climbing gym. The video is accompanied by the text overlay, "She doesn't know it yet, but in just 1 hour she is going to go home to her stalker from the other side of the world sitting outside her house." Her video went viral with over 9.5 million views and a flood of empathetic responses.
These examples underscore the trend's capacity to highlight personal narratives, fostering empathy and community among viewers.
The internet is chaotic—but we’ll break it down for you in one daily email. Sign up for the Daily Dot’s web_crawlr newsletter here to get the best (and worst) of the internet straight into your inbox.
