Why is TikTok so obsessed with 365 buttons?
TikTok is all about buttons in the new year. 365 buttons to be precise. No, not the ones you press in an elevator. Yes, like the ones on your shirt. No, it doesn't really make sense.
The whole thing started innocuously enough. People were commenting on a TikTok about rebranding themselves in the new year. Enter TikTokker Tamara, who goes by the handle @flylikeadove. Tamara commented, "I’m getting 365 buttons, one for each day because I want to do more stuff and I’m scared of time so I want to be more conscious of it."
People responded with questions such as "Why buttons?" and "What do the buttons mean?" and "Are the buttons to wear?"
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Tamara replied: "Just to have to see how quick days pass and to remind myself that time passes, and I just have fun and to do a lot of stuff."
OK, fair enough. Just like a calendar or a daily checkmark. But people kept following up. Finally, Tamara ended the conversation with a wonderful bit of snark.
Tamara wrote: "Hey, so it actually only has to make sense to me for me to do it, and I don’t feel like explaining it to anyone else."
This all has since gone viral as people have obsessed over the buttons, the Brat nature of it all, and the silliness of a random trend. This video from @jasonsappy explaining the saga does a great job of breaking it all down.
Search around TikTok, and you'll see endless comments and videos about buttons. It's become a meme, really. Many people, for instance, love to simply comment, "I'm getting 365 buttons," on videos. There are also Brat edits, fan cams, and, yes, brands getting in on it.
People especially love Tamara's insistence that the buttons only need to make sense to her — and her consistent desire to stay private and unbothered. People have only loved Tamara more, as she has consistently told them that virality doesn't matter to her.
The idea of storing/moving/buying/placing/collecting 365 buttons is a bit silly — why buttons, for instance? But it does make sense as a physical act to remind you of the passage of time. Doesn't it feel good to cross something off your to-do list? Using a physical button for each day would serve as a tactile reminder of the passage of time. Each button represents a moment to treasure the precious few moments we're given.
I get it! It makes sense to me — not that it matters to Tamara.
Tim Marcin is an Associate Editor on the culture team at Mashable, where he mostly digs into the weird parts of the internet. You'll also see some coverage of memes, tech, sports, trends, and the occasional hot take. You can find him on Bluesky (sometimes), Instagram (infrequently), or eating Buffalo wings (as often as possible).
