Honestly, I love a good debrief at the end of a long week. Whether in a photo dump or chatting with friends over drinks à la “Sex and the City,” there are many ways to share life’s little highlights. Recently, people on TikTok have started to organize their current obsessions and updates through a new “weekly report” trend.
In the weekly series, R.E.P.O.R.T. is an acronym that stands for reading, eating, playing, obsessing, recommending, and treating. Participating users highlight the standouts in each category from their week and encourage others to share theirs as well.
As a longtime lover of journaling and scrapbooking, this trend brings me so much joy. Nowadays, it feels like life moves at hyperspeed, and with the current attention economy, the smaller things aren’t often appreciated and tend to fall through the cracks. This trend provides an avenue for reflection each week where seemingly ephemeral moments can have their time to shine. From the ramen place you can’t get enough of to the book you’re dreading finishing, it helps you cherish the little things a bit more.
It’s also nice how easy to replicate the trend is, allowing smaller creators to participate. Over the past few years, most trends have required dancing, lip-syncing, or advanced editing skills, which aren’t always accessible for people just starting out. A format like this maintains a simple photo-based formula, while allowing people to make it their own and highlight their creativity.
My For You page is of course highly curated based on my interests, so this weekly report trend also seems to cater personalized content directly to me just when I’m in need of a new beauty product, recipe, or show to binge-watch. Plus, these posts help foster community: think about it, you are more likely to interact with a post if the user is currently rewatching your comfort show or is raving about a book you’ve been debating reading. With a few slides, you can find things in common between you and another TikTok user you otherwise might have scrolled past.
At the root of it, this trend shows the evolution toward more authentic, less polished content. Personally, I don’t seek out aspirational content; I love relatability and only follow creators I’d want to be friends with in real life.
I find the popular “mirror, window, and door” metaphor can be applied to who we choose to follow: People who are mirrors reflect your current reality to some degree. For me, this would include other Black women and writers. Windows allow you to observe someone in an area that you’re interested in, whether that’s watching someone cook, designing a book cover, or deep cleaning their apartment. Lastly, doors provide temporary entry to a perspective you wouldn’t usually have.
For instance, I follow Imani Barbarin, also known as @crutches_and_spice, a disability blogger and communications expert who provides insight into how most events connect back to the experience of people with disabilities. Having a variety of creators who fit into each category allows you to have greater insight into other perspectives while also feeding your interests.
This also makes me think of the recently released, disposable camera-inspired app Lapse. Instead of being prompted to capture content daily, like with BeReal, or curating an aesthetically pleasing feed, like on Instagram, the app focuses on spontaneity. When you feel compelled to take a picture, you can, but you’ll have to wait for your photo to “develop.”
Seeing trends that romanticize the mundanity of the day-to-day is exciting – it’s refreshing to see a shift where little joys from our offline lives are at the forefront, instead of just showing the “best” moments. Yes, this is a fun, lighthearted, and simple trend that folks will likely move on from in due time, but right now, it serves as a temperature check for the type of content we’re craving.
Daria Yazmiene is a freelance writer, social media manager, and advocate for BIPOC communities. She is a proud graduate of Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism.
