By Clara Lincicome | Reporter

This time last year, I finally pulled the trigger, I made my way to the app store, clicked the download button and saw the TikTok icon make itself at home on my screen. I can’t say the decision was something I was proud of at first given I made my account private, making sure my friends were the only ones to scroll upon my sad attempt at dance trends. But my thinking has adapted since last year as I have seen both myself and the app mature.

Here I am, one year and 154 followers later, ready to speak my truth: TikTok isn’t just stupid dances or lip-syncing teenage girls. It has evolved into a space of creativity and inclusivity. TikTok truly is for everyone.

I wouldn’t consider myself to be an avid poster on TikTok, although my followers might say otherwise. I’ve never gone viral, and I don’t have many followers. Sure, the trends are fun to try and I do have several TikTok sounds running through my head and seeping into my everyday vocabulary, but I think the real beauty of the app is found in following the right accounts and establishing diversity in the types of accounts you interact with.

Here are a couple of universal recommendations of who to follow on the app that I think everyone could benefit from.

For cheap yet delectable recipes, Raunak Sunder’s account @collegechefron posts delicious meals that you can cook at home or in the dorms while staying on budget. From a Gordon Ramsay pork chop recipe to bacon mac n’ cheese to fried onion smash burgers that are less than five dollars to make, my mouth is watering just scrolling through, and my wallet is in full support.

Former D1 volleyball player Victoria Garrick is now a mental health and body positivity advocate and speaker. Her account promotes self-love and taking care of your physical and mental health as she shares her journey recovering from an eating disorder, being a collegiate athlete and navigating our culture that says you need to look a certain way to be accepted. Following Garrick is signing up for daily encouragement and confidence, which is something we all could use a little more of.

For some incredible photography and travel videos, I recommend Ethan Glanger, a Dallas-based filmmaker and photographer. His videos are adventurous, and his filmmaking requires exceptional talent and skill; I am in awe of his posts. Glanger’s videos make me want to go on a spontaneous trip to the mountains or to the beach with my friends, and with a month left in the semester, I just might. Glanger is definitely worth a follow.

Aside from following accounts that can actually help you become a better person, TikTok is also my main source of comedic relief. Maybe I’m just following the wrong people on other platforms, but no other social media app can even compare. As someone whose humor revolves around sarcasm, TikTok understands me better than anyone I know. It is consistently making me laugh, encouraging me to try a new hobby, a new workout or a new recipe and I know I can always count on it.

I love that TikTok has become a space for creators to express themselves creatively and dive into their passions headfirst, with strangers from across the globe cheering them on. Being a part of a creator’s journey to success, or finding an account that shares a passion or hobby with you is unbeatable and is definitely not confined to one cookie-cutter type of person.

I’m confident that if everyone gave it a shot, they would find the same to be true, that TikTok is for everyone.