Thelife- As pandemic safety measures have required students to finish the school year from
home , high school seniors are grappling with the disappointment of missing out on rites of passage. - Some students and their families, however, are determined to experience milestones like
prom and graduation, even fromquarantine . - Thousands of students are posting videos of their at-home proms to
TikTok in order to share the special occasion with friends. - The videos follow a concerted effort by the app to entertain users during an unprecedented period of isolation.
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It was Abigail Glew's birthday when she found out that the rest of her senior year was effectively canceled — meaning she would miss long-awaited milestones, like prom and graduation.
"I took it very hard," she told Insider.
But the 18-year-old from New Hampshire was determined to salvage her senior year.
"I wanted to get dressed up and wear my [prom] dress because I was really excited about it," she said.
On April 2, the day before her canceled prom was originally set to take place, Glew texted her family group chat, asking if they could throw a prom of their own. Her mom said yes, and her dad agreed, but only if he "got a dance" with his daughter.
The next evening, the family hosted an at-home prom, which Glew filmed and uploaded to TikTok.
@abby_glu prom got cancelled so we had our own❤️ ##family ##love ##foryou ##smallgestures ##WerkItFromHome ##quarantine ##bestnightever
♬ waves dean lewis - mikaylabahry
In the clip, Glew perfected her hair and makeup before modeling her floor-length dress. Her sister, a sophomore in high school, also dressed up for the occasion, and the two joined their parents for a fancy dinner and dancing in the living room.
"Ngl, one of the most fun nights of my life," Glew captioned a clip of herself dancing with her dad, using the abbreviation for "not gonna' lie."
In just a few weeks, the video has been viewed 1.2 million times and received adoring comments from viewers who said the family event was "precious" and that Glew's parents are "amazing."
Glew didn't expect the video to go viral — she says she just thought it would be a fun way to remember her prom and something she could share with her friends.
Her family was also surprised by the online attention, and they've been moved by some of the comments.
"My dad was teared up a bunch of times thinking about it," she said.
Ultimately, Glew says, she's gotten over her disappointment about the way her senior year turned out.
"I've come to terms with everything because now that I understand everything that's going on, I think it's best that we're staying home and keeping people safe," she said. "And [the prom] was still a really great experience for all of us."
Glew isn't the only one sharing her prom experience online. The #TikTokProm hashtag, which has over 1 billion views on the app, reveals just how much families are doing to give high school seniors the prom they were missing.
In one viral TikTok, a dad presents his daughter with flowers before the two (accompanied by a band of family dogs) have a prom of their own. The video has been viewed 1.6 million times in just two weeks.
@babycharkdodododo a moment for rod ##fyp ##zoom ##prom
♬ always remember you - abbisutphen
One family went all out with decorations and dancing (and dogs, of course).
@themannfam7 “A night to remember” - prom night 2020 ##tiktokprom ##promplaylist ##family ##siblings ##foryou ##foryoupage
♬ Yeah! - Usher / Lil' Jon
Some families flexed their incredible attention to detail, setting up elaborate lighting, decorations, food, and menus for the special event.
@cat_usry16 Nicole’s senior prom was cancelled, so we threw her a surprise prom. We love you so much!! ##prom ##fyp ##foryou
♬ original sound - cat_usry16
One family gave their prom the apt theme of "PROMAGEDDON."
@julisjuicyjuice Pt. 1 of a night to remember don’t let this flop ! ##fyp ##prom2020 ##savethelastdance ##promageddon
♬ Love Songs x No Police Funk Mash Up - ldrethegiant
#TikTokProm has taken off on the platform, such that disappointed high schoolers aren't the only ones taking advantage of the trend – social media personalities are sharing their own prom looks with their fans.
Fitness influencer Demi Bagby showed off her prom look and quarantine activities in a video for her 11.6 million followers on the platform.
@demibagby Prom was cancelled so I thought I’d celebrate at home ❤️ ##prom ##tiktokprom ##promdiy ##celebrate
♬ original sound - steveeeb
Beauty YouTuber Patrick Starrr even hopped on the trend, modeling a sparkly blue prom dress and eye shadow to match.
@patrickstarrr And that’s on filipino titas... ##tiktokprom ##promplaylist ##fyp ##promdiy ##promlook
♬ original sound - makayladid
#TikTokProm goes beyond videos of at-home celebrations — the app actually hosted a live-streamed event of its own.
"You thought Prom was canceled? Guessed Wrong," the description under the hashtag reads. "Whether you were planning to go to prom this year, or wish you could go back to your golden years, hang out with us for a celebration of all things PROM."
On April 25, the platform hosted a virtual prom of its own, DJd by Diplo, among other artists. Those streaming the event could chat with the DJs and request their favorite songs.
The event followed a week of the live-streamed events from the platform's #HappyAtHome series in which TikTok stars like Addison Rae, the D'Amelio family, and AdamRayOkay hopped online to entertain their followers stuck at home.
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