Why Everyone on TikTok Wants to Be a "Cool Aunt"

"Set to a Kanye song remixed with a track by Nemzzz, a "cool aunt" video (sometimes called "Plan B") typically opens with a list that reads something like: "Plan A: married by 25, homeowner by 27, kids by 30." But when the beat drops, so do a slew of clips of all the amazing things the creator has done with her life instead of hitting those conventional benchmarks."

"One Los Angeles college student joined in on the trend this year, soon after her 21st birthday. Hershy (we've withheld her last name for privacy reasons) tells Popsugar that her mom got married at 21, prompting Hershy to reflect on "what it means to be an adult and be the first woman in my family who has actual choice in regards to children and marriage." "I feel at this age that my goals are limitless versus when I was younger.""

""When I was younger, there [was] only one path presented to me in life: study hard, marry by 26, have kids, and care for my family," she tells PS over email. "As I got older, I realized that this path never truly served me or the women before me. My dreams for myself are so much bigger and are supported by generations of women before me"

Creators on TikTok portray alternative life choices by juxtaposing a conventional "Plan A" — married by 25, homeowner by 27, kids by 30 — with a "Plan B: cool aunt" montage of travel, red carpets, extreme sports, and luxury experiences. Videos use a Kanye/Nemzzz remix and quick-cut clips to celebrate self-determination and financial independence. Participants need not have nieces or nephews. Some young women reference family patterns and newfound choice, noting previous singular expectations of study, early marriage, and childrearing have given way to larger personal ambitions supported by earlier generations of women.

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