TikTok Declares Delulu Era Over As Reality Takes Hold

TikTok’s new TikTok Next trend report signals a decisive pivot: the platform says the escapist “delulu” mindset that defined recent years is waning, and an ethos of discipline, routine, and practical accountability is on the rise. The takeaway is simple and stark—fantasy is out, reality is in.

From Delulu to Locked In: Routine and Accountability Rise

“Delulu” became shorthand for believing a dream hard enough to manifest it—glossy day-in-the-life edits, cinematic crush arcs, and curated aesthetics. Now, TikTok says audiences want proof of the work behind the dream. The emerging language is #lockedin, #joblife, and #hygiene—daily maintenance, not magical thinking.

The platform frames the shift as a collective coping mechanism in a turbulent world. Instead of aestheticizing adulthood, creators are documenting what it actually takes to build it: meal prep, payday planning, commute diaries, therapy recaps, and “body doubling” study sessions that turn accountability into a social ritual.

Signals in the Feed: Progress Over Perfection Emerges

Expect more series like #TheGreatLockIn—creator-led sprints to reset finances, clean apartments, or finish certifications. “Reset” and “maintenance” videos are replacing hyper-stylized edits with checklists and timers. Viewers reward creators who show imperfect progress, not polished perfection.

Work-life content is also maturing. Office tours and QuitToks are giving way to “first 90 days” logs, performance review prep, and skills-building updates. The vibe has shifted from manifesting a promotion to documenting the habits that make one likely.

Why the Pivot Now: Cultural Fatigue Drives Realism

TikTok attributes the turn to realism to cultural fatigue with unattainable ideals and a desire for shared processing. Economic uncertainty, information overload, and increasingly public conversations about mental health have made practical content feel both comforting and credible.

Research outside the platform supports the appeal. The American Psychological Association has consistently linked routine and small, achievable goals with improved resilience and reduced anxiety. In plain terms: showing the steps is more stabilizing than selling the fantasy.

What the Data Suggests: Rising Interest in Process

TikTok’s forecasts typically blend internal engagement signals with marketer surveys. While the company doesn’t share platform-wide figures in these summaries, its guidance points to rising search and watch time around “maintenance” and “process” keywords, alongside strong completion rates for series that track progress over weeks rather than one-off reveals.

Third-party snapshots give context to the appetite. Pew Research Center has documented steady growth in TikTok as a destination for everyday information and how-tos, not just entertainment. With a global audience commonly cited at over 1 billion users, even small shifts in taste reshape what trends look like across categories.

How Creators Can Lock In: Build Credible Habit Arcs

Creators should think in arcs, not isolated posts. Break big goals into episodic series with clear checkpoints: “Week 1 budget reset,” “Day 10 coding bootcamp,” “Third shift meal prep.” Show the draft, the redo, and the lesson learned. Viewers are opting into accountability, not illusion.

Production can stay simple. Screen recordings of dashboards, whiteboard lists, and timer overlays read as trustworthy. Livestream “study with me” blocks and duet-friendly templates invite communal momentum—an antidote to the solitary grind.

What Brands Need to Know: Tie Products to Routines

For marketers, the report is a nudge to move beyond glossy lifestyle pitching. Winning executions tie products to routines: refills, check-ins, maintenance windows, and before/after logs measured in consistency, not miracles. Think “30-day skincare adherence” rather than “instant glow.”

Influencer partnerships should prioritize creators with credible processes in their niche—nurses walking through shift prep, apprentices documenting trade skills, or fitness coaches tracking regressions and rebounds. Case studies that quantify habit-building will outperform aspirational mood boards.

Reality Still Has Room for Joy: Progress Can Be Fun

TikTok isn’t declaring fun dead; it’s redefining the way fun shows up. Humor now sits alongside honest effort—desk lunches roasted with love, roommate chore charts turned into bits, and triumphant “I finally did it” posts pressed right up against failures. The platform’s thesis: progress is compelling.

If “delulu” made the dream feel close, “locked in” makes the path feel possible. That’s a different kind of dopamine—and in this moment, it’s the one the audience is choosing.