TikTok trend
“Silent Walking”: Why so many young people leave the house without a cell phone
An autumn walk without a cell phone – that’s what the TikTok trend Silent Walking is all about
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Young people on TikTok are enthusiastic about walking – without a cell phone. This brings them closer to themselves, say many who try it out.
When leaving the house, many people routinely reach into their handbag or trouser pocket: keys, wallet and cell phone – are you all there? Without their cell phones, young people in particular sometimes feel almost naked.
But this also means that they rarely rest. People are constantly looking at the screen, checking social networks, reading and sending messages. But the opposite trend is currently taking hold on TikTok: Silent walking, i.e. going for a quiet walk. Users go without it Cell phone in front of the door – not because you forgot it, but deliberately. You want to take time to focus on yourself and not be constantly distracted.
Silent Walking on TikTok: Go for a walk without a cell phone
Podcaster Mady Maio is one of those who started the trend on the video app – “unintentionally,” as she says. On the recommendation of her nutritionist, she started taking 30-minute walks instead of cardio training. Her friend then suggested that she “go for a walk without distractions – no Airpods, no podcast, no music, just myself.” In the first few minutes, there was “chaos” in her head, Maio describes her experience, but that soon changed: “Suddenly you can hear yourself.”
Silent walking Maio is certain that it can “change lives”: “After 30 minutes of silent walking, I finally had the clarity I was always looking for. The fog in my brain has disappeared. Suddenly so many ideas come to me because I give them space.” On TikTok, more and more users, especially representatives of Generation Z, are joining this trend. “Silent walking “It’s like meditating,” enthuses one user.
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In fact, it’s more than just a social media trend: the constant noise of the digital world is overwhelming many people. “Recent studies have found that the incidence of anxiety and depression has increased dramatically since the start of the pandemic, and I believe people are looking for natural, integrative approaches to improve their mental health,” physician Suzanne Hackenmiller told US -Portal “Today”. The New York psychologist Juanita Guerra speaks of an “excellent way to connect with our inner being.”
The benefits of walking for physical and mental health have long been known. The Silent Walkers also receive ridicule online: Ten years ago, no one would have thought of celebrating simply going for a walk, they say. If you spend too much time on your cell phone, you should simply put the phone aside – which sometimes sounds easier than it is.
Sources: Mady Maio on TikTok / “Today” / “New York Times”
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