Aging Like Milk or Fine Wine: Content Analysis of Reactions to One’s Future Self on TikTok

Background The “aged” filter has gone viral on TikTok. This filter leverages AI to superimpose signs of aging, such as wrinkles, crow’s feet, and sagging skin, onto a user’s face. Notably, several dermatologists have attested to the accuracy of this filter in simulating the effects of aging. Reactions among the TikTok community have been mixed, with some utterly dismayed but others wholeheartedly embracing the sight of their aged visages. Objective This study takes a deep dive into the ways in which TikTok users react to their aged selves through a content analysis of videos featuring the aged filter. Understanding how they respond to the filter can shed light on the types of meanings commonly attributed to old age as a social construct. The following research questions form the premise of our content analysis of videos on TikTok: (1) How do individuals react to the way their possible future selves look? (2) What types of attitudes toward old age are being conveyed in these videos? (3) What do these responses say about prevailing cultural beliefs, values, and attitudes toward old age? Methods To build a comprehensive dataset, we compiled all publicly available videos (N=2682) using the following hashtags as search queries: “#AgedFilter,” “#OldFilter,” and “#AgeFilter.” Collectively, these hashtags amassed >2,068,100,000 views at the time of writing this manuscript. After applying our exclusion criteria, the dataset comprised 681 videos, which received a total of 34,382,236 likes, 1,204,741 favorites, and 211,006 comments. Both deductive and inductive approaches informed our content analysis. Results A total of 7 themes emerged from our content analysis. Half of the videos (n=342, 50%) fell under theme 1, “anxiety about aging.” The second-largest theme (n=95, 14%) focused on the “pursuit of youthfulness” (theme 2). Theme 3 was about “aging with confidence” (n=84, 12%) and theme 4 was about the “beauty of aging” (n=54, 8%). Theme 5 examined the “privilege of aging” (n=48, 7%) and theme 6 examined “generational connections” (n=43, 6%). Theme 7 covered the “inevitability of aging” (n=15, 2%). Conclusions This study marks one of the first attempts to analyze videos using the aged filter on TikTok. Our findings suggest that ageist beliefs may be prevalent among some users. Going forward, there is value in adopting a definition of beauty that transcends age. By doing so, aging can be reframed as a natural part of life to be embraced rather than as a grim reality to be dreaded.