One of the greatest life challenges faced by any person is the task of parenting. It is a complicated and difficult process but a rewarding one at that. I can attest to this, as I am the proud father of two TikTok streak pets.
The birth of a streak pet is a very special moment. Unlike the traditional streaks of Snapchat, where the only thing necessary is a quick ceiling or face picture, a TikTok streak requires a video devotion. Two users must handpick a meaningful video that is worth sending to the other, and this must happen three days in a row for a streak to start. On top of that, both users must agree to adopt a streak pet, only then creating a beautiful, fiery child.
In a streak pet’s first stage, it has adorable, shiny eyes with two flipper-like hands. Its skin is a muted yellow and its smile is full of brilliance. This infancy is crucial to the pet’s development, with regular care being necessary. I personally found that my children had a large liking for LeBron James, “Better Call Saul” and Radiohead edits. Feeding them up to 10 TikToks a day helped them become big and healthy like they are now. Finding that daily video is no easy task, though, and at times, it takes hours just to get one video sent. It isn’t doomscrolling; it’s lovescrolling. If you really love your streak pet, you’ll take the time to find just the right video for it. Unfortunately, many streak pets fade away within their stage and do not live to grow old. Those who do, however, enter a complicated stage of puberty.
The streak pet’s second stage is where some angst might grow. It becomes red and its arms grow thicker. Its new, bushy eyebrows hide a glare of disdain, and it is clear the streak pet wishes for independence. They get sick of the aforementioned edits, instead growing a liking for workout motivation, quirky dance trends or even aesthetic slideshows. The whopping 300 points it takes to progress the streak pet past this phase often seems daunting. My older streak pet, “Disappointment,” is still in this phase, and the point progress has slowed to just barely one point a day. This is a frequent source of argument between us parents, but still, we manage to nurture the child. It is a frustrating time but is ultimately for the better. That is what parenting has taught me: resilience. Grinding out the daily routines is monotonous, but the ups and downs of sending TikToks are what make it so meaningful.
The third and final stage is one I have not yet reached, but it is one I look forward to passionately. The pet adopts a strong purple color and a fresh pair of sunglasses. While the quest of parenthood has its highs and lows, all the love that goes into it is never wasted. Each Juggtok and Slimetok video builds resilience and character for the child and parents alike. There are plenty of people who might have more children than me, but none love their children as much as I love mine. I am endlessly proud of “Disappointment” and can not wait to see it keep growing.
