A new TikTok trend is circulating, and the reaction has not been that of excitement but frustration. The viral “Flip the Camera” trend showed up in late October and has quickly turned into one of the platform’s most-discussed features, mainly because many users say it crosses a line.
What is the ‘Flip the Camera’ trend on TikTok?
One of the earliest widely viewed examples came from creator @jaycrudddy, according to Know Your Meme. The clip now has more than a million views in just weeks.
The format is simple. A group hands their phone to someone nearby and asks them to record a dance. The dancers use the front camera so they can watch themselves. At the end, they rush toward the device and flip the camera outward, exposing the person holding it.
Why criticism for the ‘Flip the Camera’ trend
What looks like a harmless switch often comes at someone else’s expense. Many of the people being filmed are not part of the group, according to Mashable. Sometimes these are less-popular classmates or unhoused individuals, and older bystanders. Because the “reveal” becomes the punchline, users have tagged the trend as a new form of public shaming.
Instagram user @coquettesvanilla, who has over 41,400 followers, posted that the format has “turned into straight up bullying.” The creator said posts like these leave people “insecure” or feeling “not good enough,” adding that “Bullying isn’t always loud… if someone gets hurt, then it wasn’t fun to begin with.”
Others delivered similar reactions, as reported by Mashable.
TikTok user @hhyy1037 (14,400 followers) called the trend “disgusting,” noting that the person being filmed is usually “the sweetest, kindest, most innocent human being,” often someone simply agreeing to help.
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Big creators open up on the viral 'Flip the Camera' trend
Even high-visibility accounts have reacted to it. @Tinx, who has 1.5 million followers, said the trend goes beyond meanness. In her video, she called it “straight up cruelty,” adding she would “ground” her own kids if they joined it.
The trend is only a few weeks old, but the pushback has outpaced the participation. Most of the criticism comes down to the same point. The joke works only when someone else is embarrassed.
Whether TikTok steps in or the trend fades is still unclear. But the conversation online is less about dance videos and more about how quickly a casual format can turn into a public ridicule pipeline.
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FAQs
What is the ‘Flip the Camera’ trend on TikTok?
It’s a format where dancers film themselves, then flip the front camera to reveal the person recording them.
Why are people upset about the trend?
Critics say it humiliates the person behind the camera, who is often filmed without knowing they're the “punchline.”
Who started the trend?
Know Your Meme reports that it likely began with TikTok creator @jaycrudddy in late October.