This is sometimes known as the 'non-threatening boy', according to Catherine Driscoll, a professor in gender and cultural studies at the University of Sydney.īut TikTok offers a closeness boy band fans rarely have. 'So, you know, it's, I guess, funny and handsome.'įor some, largely white American kids so far, that's proven a big success: TikTok has been busy minting a new generation of viral dance stars and teenage paramours of all genders.įor the most well-known men, who go by names like Lilhuddy, their floppy hair, clear skin and bouncy personalities place them in a long lineage of pretty teenage heartthrobs, from the Beatles to One Direction. 'I think his most popular videos, if you look at the stats, are all videos where he looks really handsome,' she says with a laugh. About school or friends, funny and relatable.īut, then there's also the look. His mother Sharon, who sometimes helps film, thinks the charm of POV clips is that they can be anything. 'I'll be like, 'point of view: you came and swam at the beach with me' or like, 'point of view: you came along to my photo shoot',' he explains.Īnd with it, comes fame: 'At this point, almost every time I see a girl between the ages of 13 and 15 and she looks at me, she suddenly goes, 'TikTok'.' He just needs to add a caption, and maybe a trending pop track. He now has more than 1 million followers.īased in Melbourne, the professional model says POV or 'point of view' videos are one of a few good ways to engage his audience on the app - mostly teenage girls (his followers are more than 90 per cent women, according to his TikTok dashboard). The short form video app has quickly become influential - sending songs to number one and making stars of its early adopters.Īnd while school was out over the summer, Harvey, 16, was building his TikTok presence.

You may never meet him, but Harvey Petito can still drive you to the beach.Īll he needs to do is gaze into his smartphone camera, as if you were in the passenger seat, and there it is: TikTok content.

What does pov mean