Social media is once again buzzing with a new TikTok trend that’s both humorous and relatable. The #EmergencyContact trend takes a lighthearted jab at the concept of who we would rely on in a time of crisis. Traditionally, an emergency contact is someone dependable—usually a parent or close friend. But TikTok users have turned this idea on its head, highlighting how their once-reliable parents have been replaced by often unprepared (or downright clueless) partners or friends.
The trend began with a video posted by creator Paiz on January 31. In it, she humorously shared her partner rolling on a medicine ball while she joked, “Realizing I changed my emergency contact from my mom to this man.” The video quickly went viral, with over 30 million views and thousands of comments, many from people wondering whether Paiz should change her emergency contact back to her mom.
But the trend didn’t stop there. TikTokers are now sharing their own #EmergencyContact moments, with hilarious videos showcasing their partners in surprisingly unprepared or clumsy moments. One clip features a boyfriend hesitating to catch a bug, while another shows a partner accidentally slamming his head into a block of snow. The latter video, captioned “My emergency contact,” has gone viral with over 80 million views.
Some users are using the trend to showcase their own reliable contacts, joking about how their friends or family would never let them down. One user commented, “Unfortunately I can’t relate to this trend because my emergency contact is my younger sister who will summon the entire army, navy, air force and search rescue team to find out why my location was off for 5 minutes.”
The trend has taken off worldwide, with celebrities like Jessica Biel and Simone Biles getting in on the fun. Biel shared that her emergency contact is her husband, Justin Timberlake, while Biles jokingly posted a video of her husband, Jonathan Owens, dancing, saying, “I’ll probably still call my dad first.”
This playful trend proves that while we may joke about our emergency contacts, when it comes to the crunch, most people know who really has their backs—whether or not they can handle a crisis!
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