Experts debunk TikTok generation 'life-hacks' that are a waste of time

• FEMAIL takes a look at the viral Gen Z trends that are far from life-changing
• READ MORE: Gen Zs’ latest obsession of ‘anti-wrinkle straws’ ‘lack scientific basis’, claims skincare expert 

As Gen Z finds its voice on TikTok, the social media site has become a platform for new and emerging trends which quickly capture the imaginations of users around the world.

Such trends that spread like wildfire on the platform include so-called ‘life hacks’ that are said to make every day aspects of life easier – but is it always worth jumping on the bandwagon?

Last month the ‘anti-wrinkle straw’, a device said to help reduce the affects of ageing around the mouth – but at $8 (£6.50) a go, experts have warned you might be wasting your money on them.

Similarly, a combination of oats, water, cinnamon and lime touted by younger generations as a healthy way to lose weight – named ‘oatzempic’ in a play on weight-loss drug Ozempic – has been slammed by fitness influencers who say its purported health benefits are in fact a dangerous fad.

As such trends are ultimately dismissed by experts in certain fields, it seems Gen Z might not hold all the answers to a perfect life. Here, FEMAIL debunks the trends purported by the TikTok generation that don’t quite add up…

Anti-wrinkle straws

The most recent innovation that Gen Z influencers have popularised involves a drinking straw that is shaped like the number seven.

Thanks to a small hole cut into the horizontal part, users are able to drink without pursing their lips and, so the logic goes, prevent fine lines from developing around the lips.

TikTok is awash with videos promoting the straw as a key weapon in the fight against fine lines – a war that Gen Z are determined to win.

But while some content creators from the UK and US insist that the new straw will reduce facial lines because it does not require users to purse the lips in the way that a traditional vertical straw does, experts have warned that there is ‘no scientific evidence’ that it will forestall wrinkles.

Dr Leah Totton of the Dr Leah Cosmetic Skin Clinics chain told The Telegraph: ‘There is no scientific evidence as to whether anti-wrinkle straws are an effective method of preventing perioral wrinkles – also, some slight pursing of the lips is still involved.’

Despite scepticism from experts, influencers including California-based aesthetic school graduate Michaela Scott from promoting the straw on TikTok, arguing that it means ‘you’re not pursing your lips as hard’ when using it.

Nearby in Orange County, a dentist who goes by ‘Joyce the dentist’ threw her weight behind anti-wrinkle straws, stating that the contraptions ‘help prevent the formation of wrinkles around the lips called “smoker’s lines”.’

While a third influencer, who’s based in Washington, was quick to brand the anti-wrinkle straw effective after trying it for the first time.

She said: ‘Do I think it’s effective? Kind of yeah – because I’m not pursing my lips. I’m not pursing them.’

She also made clear that she would be using the anti-wrinkle straws again, claiming that her current ‘lip wrinkles’ and ‘smokers lines’ were a result of using standard vertical straws.

Creases around the mouth are often referred to as smoker’s lines because it is common for people who smoke to develop them from repeatedly pursing their lips around a cigarette.

However, Dr Daniel Hunt, the founder and director of Imperial Aesthetics, warned that the straws wouldn’t single-handedly ward off facial lines – particularly if you’re not someone who uses straws often.

He said: ‘Do I think they’ll cause dramatically less of these lines in 30 years? No. It really depends how much you use a straw in the first place. If we’re just talking about a drink on a Friday or Saturday night then using the anti-wrinkle straw won’t do much for you’.

The anti-wrinkle straws are normally sold in sets and can be found on Amazon for around $8 to $10.

While some are made of disposable materials, there are versions made of stainless steel and glass.

Oatzempic

The drink is made from a blend of oats, water, lime and cinnamon

While dieters bemoan the side effects of weight loss drug Ozempic, few dispute its efficacy when it comes to shedding excess pounds.

Yet if Ozempic, originally sold as a medication for type two diabetes, is the real deal, how does the makeshift alternative ‘Oatzempic’ stack up?

Said to suppress the appetite in a similar way to the weight loss drug, Oatzempic, which is shorthand for a blend of oats, water, cinnamon and lime to be consumed in the morning, supposedly leaves advocates feeling full enough to be able to get by with just small snacks for the rest of the day.

However, despite having a huge following on TikTok – the hashtag #oatzempic has been used thousands of times to date – nutritionists and fitness influencers have been quick to brand the Oatzempic trend ‘dangerous’ and ‘not worth it’.

While advocates say the special blend has helped them lose weight quickly, with some claiming to have lost up to 18 kilograms in two months, registered dietitian Maya Feller told Good Morning America that she does not recommend adopting an Oatzempic-based diet.

Steph Claire Smith (pictured) has lashed out over a new diet trend that’s sweeping the internet

‘I would not use this because you’re not going to get all the nutrients that your body needs. You’re essentially starving your cells of what they want so they can function optimally. It’s simply not worth it,’ she said.

Similarly, leading Australian fitness influencer Steph Claire Smith has sought to challenge the Oatzempic craze by explaining the negative impact that it can have on the body.

The former model, 30, took to Instagram – where she has 1.5 million followers – to warn people not to attempt the weight loss fad.

She wrote: ‘Oh look, another toxic diet trend has hit the internet.’

The Australian model, 30, took to Instagram on Wednesday to condemn the viral ‘Oatzempic’ craze and share the dangerous impact it can have on the body

‘Please do not fall for this. You do not need to deprive yourself of enjoyment of food to be “healthy”. Been there, done that… it’s unsustainable and brings no joy.’

In her video, Steph continued: ‘FYI, I am not making one of those horrid-sounding drinks. I am making myself a real smoothie because I’m hungry for a snack.

‘It just makes me so furious. That amount of weight loss in that amount of time can not be good for you. Not to mention the drink sounds gross.

‘It’s just restrictive dieting disguised. And if you’re following anything like this, you’re depriving yourself of actually enjoying food.’

Steph admitted that she’s attempted dangerous diet trends and ‘quick fixes’ in the past, while urging her followers to simply ‘enjoy food’.

‘I was in a place with my restrictive eating where I would honestly fall for any of the toxic dieting messages that came online and I would believe anything and try everything,’ she said.

‘Just remember, that that level of restriction in dieting, that doesn’t have to be your relationship with food. You can enjoy food and be healthy, those things can co-exist. That’s all.’

The sandwich rule

Earlier this year, a styling ‘hack’ dubbed ‘the sandwich rule’ went viral on TikTok.

But while videos of people showing off their colour-coordinated outfits attracted millions of views, some people were left wondering what all the fuss was about.

The sandwich rule is a way of dressing which sees someone match the colour of their top to the colour of their shoes – to create the bread – while clothing their bottom half in a different shade -the filling.

This particular approach to dressing was first promoted by British fashion influencer Lydia Tomlinson on Instagram before it migrated to TikTok.

Lydia outlined her method in the following way: ‘If you think about a sandwich it has the bread at the top, the bread at the bottom, and something different in the middle.

A styling hack known as ‘the sandwich method’ has taken TikTok by storm – but it has not been met without confusion

‘This in turn creates a balanced effect to the sandwich. The same rules can be applied to your outfits.’

Yet while most people would agree that it’s a good rule of thumb, no one would argue that the sandwich rule is revolutionary… would they?

Well, as it turns out, members of Gen Z have been gushing about how the rule has ‘changed their lives’ and how their outfits have ‘never looked better’.

Han, from the UK, who is known as @styledbyhan on TikTok, showed her followers how to create their own sandwich looks.

In her video, she opted for a leather jacket to match a black mini skirt, while matching cherry-red shoes to the text on her T-shirt – with a red bag to complete the look.

Han, who has almost eight million followers on TikTok, gave a demonstration of the technique, saying: ‘Step one put on any skirt or any pair of trousers. They can be in any colour you want.

‘Step two put on any top that matches the vibe of the bottoms, but it doesn’t have to be the same colour. Now put on a pair of shoes that matches the colour of the top. If the top isn’t just one colour pick out the standout colour.

‘Add a jacket that matches the bottoms. Now add a bag that matches the shoes. The next step is to add jewellery – make sure the jewellery matches the hardware on the bags.

Han, from the UK, gave her followers a step-by-step tutorial on how to recreate the method

She shared her post with her nearly 8 million followers on her account, @styledbyhan

‘And that’s it, you’ve successfully sandwiched an outfit. There are so many combinations you’ll be able to create.’

But while many took to the comments section to praise Han’s look and ask where she had bought her clothes from, others were left confused about the excitement that her post has generated.

One commenter said it was a method they’d already been using without realising, writing: ‘pov u used the sandwich rule your whole life.’

A second added: ‘It’s literally just matching’ while a third said: ‘I am a bit confused, how were you all dressing before?’

Another sceptic added: ‘People are learning how to get dressed now?’

While a fourth wrote: ‘Isn’t this just called making an outfit?’

Nineties nostalgia

Such was the interest in her landline that TikTok user Sunny posted a video explaining how to get hold of a Hello Kitty phone

From the resurgence of vinyl to the revival of All Saints-style cargo pants, Gen Z’s readiness to embrace eighties and nineties trends is indisputable.

The most extreme – and confusing – example, however, isn’t the younger generation’s love of ‘vintage’ fashions but rather their obsession with vintage technologies, specifically, the landline.

Those born before 1997 will remember what it was like to wait patiently to use the house phone, which may well have been attached to the wall, while cult shows from the nineties and noughties, such as Juno, Lizzie McGuire and Mean Girls, featured characters who wouldn’t put the phone down.

And now, in a move that has baffled their elders, those in their teens and twenties are dead set on bringing landlines back.

Another TikToker shows off her landline. Gen Z have been buying up the old-fashioned phones from eBay and other resale sites

Gen Z are buying up vintage phones on eBay and other resell sites, and they’re showing them off on TikTok.

Admittedly, their interest lies more with the aesthetic than anything else, with this new generation of buyers purchasing novelty phones that become design features.

Sunny, from the US, brought her Hello Kitty landline after seeing a TikTok of someone using a frog shaped phone.

Like many, hers isn’t installed to a real line. Sunny connects hers to her iPhone via a Bluetooth adaptor meaning it rings when her iPhone rings.

‘I love the novelty of talking to my friends and sitting in one place. When I’m having a long text conversation with a friend, I’ll just ask if we can speak over the phone and catch up,’ she told the Guardian.

In her video, which has been watched almost 17,000 times, Sunny tells viewers that she bought the Hello Kitty landline from Facebook Marketplace for ’30ish dollars’ and that it is also available on Mercari and eBay.

She also explains how she was able to connect her iPhone to the landline using a ‘Cell2Jack’ adaptor, which means any call she receives on her smartphone will go through to the Hello Kitty phone.

Despite the renewed interest in landlines among young people, in the UK and the US these phones are on the decline.

Between 2000 and 2022,  the number of households with a landline fell by four million.

There are now around 22 million connections in the UK, down 15 per cent from its peak at the turn of the century when 95 per cent of homes had one, according to data from Uswitch.

Tweakments

Their every behaviour has been critiqued by Boomers and Gen Z, but one surprising win for millennials is their youthful appearance.

Healthier diets, better understanding of skincare and innovations in make-up have helped those born between 1980 and 1997 appear more youthful than previous generations did at the same age.

But, surprisingly, this positive trend isn’t evident in Gen Z, who appear to be ageing differently.

While millennials learned about good skincare routines in their late teens and twenties, experts have warned that Gen Z may have started using harsh products either too early or incorrectly, causing them to age prematurely.

Equally, Gen Z’s predilection for vaping, their overexposure to blue light and their tendency to get ‘tweakments’ too young could also be contributing factors.

Meanwhile, Taylor, pictured in 2007 aged 17, still looked incredibly youthful as a teenager

‘Overuse or unnecessary application of filler and toxins at a young age may affect the natural facial development, causing younger patients to look older than they are,’ celebrity cosmetics doctor Dr Rasha Rakhshani-Moghadam said.

‘Millennials generally have a heightened awareness of skincare and diet, compared to previous generations, often incorporating a more holistic approach to well-being. This shift involves a greater emphasis on preventive skincare practices and a focus on balanced diets.’

Meanwhile, Dr Ross Perry, medical director of Cosmedics Skin Clinics, said: ‘It is not uncommon to see 18-year-olds with lip filler.’

’20-year-olds are having Botox and fillers, semi-permanent make-up in the form of eyebrows and lips, all of which combined can make you appear older, but actually once you start down this route, it’s very hard to go back to being entirely natural, especially when the ‘affirmations’ start on social media.

‘Combined with lifestyle and environmental factors, for example, it’s become “fashionable” to have a tan again, so statistics have told us the use of sunbeds are on the rise, again not only are you putting yourself at risk of skin cancer further down the line, but also premature ageing will be happening far quicker.’

The phenomenon has been noted by writers and social media users, with people debating ‘why millennials look younger than Gen Z’ on social media platforms.

‘Why don’t millennials age,’ has more than 20 million views on TikTok while Quora and Reddit are filled with conspiracies about why millennials looks so young.

‘Bare minimum Mondays’

‘Bare Minimum Mondays’, a work-life balance term popularised on TikTok by Mary Jo Mayes (pictured), refers to mostly young workers who feel overworked and underpaid, and their desire to do as little as possible – ‘the bare minimum’ – to start the week

Last year, ‘Bare Minimum Mondays’ gained traction on social media – following in the footsteps of other Gen-Z fueled fads such as ‘quiet quitting.’

The phrase, a work-life balance term that surfaced on TikTok, refers to mostly young workers who feel overworked and underpaid, and their desire to do as little as possible – ‘the bare minimum’ – to start off the week.

A sort of sequel to the so-called ‘Sunday scaries’, the phrase and its message has proved polarising – with some embracing the strategy, and others slamming the younger generation’s work ethic.

The trend has seen influencers take to their preferred platforms to show exactly how workers can transform their manic Monday into a lazy one – whether it’s doing only what’s required in their job descriptions, or settling in for a siesta on company time.

The trend has seen influencers take to their preferred platforms to show exactly how one can transform their manic Mondays into a lazy one – by doing only what’s required in their job descriptions

‘Bare minimum Monday’ comes on the heels of another similar trend, dubbed ‘quiet quitting’, which preaches the personal decision to quietly stop working instead of flat-out leaving a job, all while pursuing other career options.

TikToker Marisa Jo Mayes is credited with popularising the concept of ‘Bare Minimum Mondays’ – sharing it with her 154,000 followers in a series of videos preaching self-care over hard-work starting last year.

Jo Mayes – who appeared on Good Morning America last year after touting a similar strategy called ‘Quit-Tok’ – tells workers how she modifies her tasks on heavier work days to follow the trend.

‘I don’t take meetings and take it slow for the first two hours. I’ll do some reading, some journaling, maybe some stuff around the house,’ Mayes recently told Insider of how she dreamed up the concept last March.

‘I gave myself permission to do the bare minimum, and it was like some magic spell came over me. I felt better. I wasn’t overwhelmed, and I actually got more done than I expected.’

Her content now consists of videos showing off her slowed-down start to the week, which includes applying facial scrubs while on the clock, and intermittently relaxing on her couch instead of answering emails.

Yet while a change of pace might sound appealing, surely it’s obvious that checking out or slowing down without explanation isn’t going to help workers find favour with their employers or achieve the work-life balance that they so crave.

The North Dakota resident recalled the work as a ‘cycle of stress and burnout’ – leading her to ditch her previous practices of taking painstaking preparations each Monday for the ensuing week for a new mandate: do the bare minimum at the week’s outset.

The result is the now enormously popular ‘Bare minimum Mondays’, which Mayes says instructs desk jockeys to do only what needs to be done to get through the day without losing your job.

Just like that, Mayes said, ‘it was like some magic spell came over me.’

‘I felt better. I wasn’t overwhelmed, and I actually got more done than I expected.’

Instead of scheduling meetings and doing tasks that requires intense work, Mayes – and now thousands of others who hopped on the trend – are focusing on self-care, taking 45-minute walks and addressing only ‘absolute, must get done’ jobs.

‘It prevents burnout for me and makes me feel better overall,’ Mayes says in a recent clip uploaded on Saturday, in which she slammed detractors who call the practice ‘lazy.’

‘If being called lazy is the price I have to pay to be happier, healthier, and more productive overall, I’ll take it,’ Mayes says. ‘It [Bare Minimum Mondays] has really changed my life.’

Now being embraced by tens of thousands of social media users, the practice is already drawing criticism – predominantly from older workers – as it continues to gain traction online.

‘People do not want to work, people are lazy,’ a New York woman told Fox News on Monday after being asked her opinion on the increasingly prevalent practice.

‘They want to do as least as possible.’

Another male Manhattanite agreed, condemning the fad for preaching professional laziness.

‘They’re [not] working,’ the older man criticized. ‘They want money from the government.’

Younger New Yorkers questioned by the outlet, by and large, sang a much different tune, saying the trend has emerged at the perfect time where young Americans are disillusioned with the government and economy.

‘I do believe on Monday a full recovery will be very beneficial,’ one man conceded.

A young woman added: ‘Being able to chill on Monday and reset – it’s better.’

Vaping

Just a couple of years ago, you would have only had to glance at social media to get a sense of Gen Z’s obsession with eclectically flavoured and packaged smoking substitutes

While the tide now seems to be turning on vaping – disposable vapes are set to be banned in the UK on 1 April 2025 – the younger generation’s early adoption of the habit caused global concern.

Just a couple of years ago, you would have only had to glance at social media to get a sense of Gen Z’s obsession with eclectically flavoured and packaged smoking substitutes.

While, a 2022 report from Action On Smoking And Health (ASH) found that 7 per cent of 11-17-year-olds were using vapes compared with 3.3 per cent in 2021 and 4.1 per cent in 2020.

Vaping was previously billed as a safer alternative to cigarettes, which dramatically raise the risk of lung cancer, heart disease and other chronic conditions.

A 2022 report from Action On Smoking And Health (ASH) found that 7 per cent of 11-17-year-olds were using vapes compared with 3.3 per cent in 2021 and 4.1 per cent in 2020

But evidence in recent years suggest the electronic alternatives cause similar damage in the body.

A recent US study found vaping and smoking cause people’s heart rates to spike 15 minutes after use and put the body in ‘fight or flight’ mode.

Both groups also suffered a constricted brachial artery, which is the major blood vessel supplying blood to the arms and hands.

High blood pressure and constricted arteries can deprive the heart of oxygen-rich blood and, over time, increase the risk of heart disease.

In a second study, researchers carried out a series of cardiovascular tests after getting participants to run on a treadmill for 90 minutes.

Those who smoked or vaped performed significantly worse on all metrics, including how quickly heart rate recovered after exercise and how hard the heart had to work at peak levels.

Lead author of the study Dr Christina Hughey, from the University of Wisconsin, said: ‘The exercise performance of those who vaped was not significantly different than people who used combustible cigarettes, even though they had vaped for fewer years than the people who smoked and were much younger.’

Co-lead author Matthew Tattersall, an assistant professor of medicine at the university, added: ‘Immediately after vaping or smoking, there were worrisome changes in blood pressure, heart rate, heart rate variability and blood vessel tone (constriction).’

The results of both studies were presented at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions 2022.

Meanwhile, speaking on This Morning, Dr Nighat Arif said she feels the UK is ‘quite behind in regards to understanding the risks of vaping’.

The GP flagged that while it’s a good option if you’re trying to quit smoking, there is a surge of teens taking it up as a lifestyle.

‘I’m seeing a lot more young people doing it,’ she said. They come in these bright lovely colours, all the flavours.

‘My son goes to secondary school and when I pick him up and they’re walking down the street from the school I would say every other child who is sort of 14-15 and above is vaping.’

Dr Nighat also pointed out there are rarely discussed dental consequences to vapes due to the sweeteners used in them.

She explained: ‘I was talking to a dental colleague of mine recently and they were saying, “yes it’s a great alternative for stopping smoking” but actually what they’re seeing is that people who are vaping – because some people are using this now as a cool lifestyle choice – there’s lots of sweeteners that come into [it].’

The GP explained that this can cause a coating on the ‘tongue and on the teeth’, which may well lead to gum disease.

Bed rotting

Many of us indulge in a duvet day every once in a while – but the low-key activity has since been given a more undesirable moniker (stock image)

The concept of a ‘duvet day’ is nothing new but for the TikTok generation the idea of lounging around in bed during daylight hours – or, ‘bed rotting’ –  is not so much an antidote to a busy week as a worthwhile activity in and of itself.

Clips posted to the platform incorporating the term ‘bed rotting’ have been viewed more than 125 million, which fits with the broader Gen Z trend of prioritising self-care above all else.

By bed rotting, that is, taking to your bed and engaging in relaxing activities, the younger generation hopes to recuperate from the stresses and strains of life.

Fans of the practice have said a day of doing nothing gave them better mental focus than they’d experienced in months and actually renewed their drive to be productive.

But psychologists are sceptical, and some are even concerned.

In the aftermath, people have taken to the platform in their droves to share an insight into their bed rotting set up in their own homes

In the aftermath, people have taken to the platform in their droves to share an insight into their bed rotting set up in their own homes

People with a predisposition toward depression could see their symptoms worsen after a day spend in bed, they say.

Laurel Roberts-Meese, a licensed marriage and family therapist, said that the trend could mask symptoms of clinical depression by normalising staying in bed for days on end when there might be an underlying mental health condition to address.

Experts have also warned about the capacity for bed rotting, which ultimately amounts to ‘checking out’, to exacerbate avoidance behaviours.

Dr. Katrina Ostmeyer, psychologist and CEO at Beyond the Individual, said: ‘Avoidance is fuel for anxiety and depression, and if you are spending the day in bed to avoid your thoughts, feelings, or problems, you are truly feeding these feelings and symptoms.

‘Further, we miss out on opportunities to actively engage in life which is going to be better for our mental and physical health.’

Some experts also argue that, in our iPhone-obsessed world, a duvet day often turns into an opportunity for endless scrolling on social media – which multiple studies show can increase the risk of developing anxiety disorders.

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