How TikTok Streaks Save Low-Maintenance Friendships

“Uy streak!,” “‘Yung streak natin!” 

Do you also have friends who constantly message you at 11:59 p.m. just to save your TikTok streak? – or, are you the one who feels a sense of panic with the fear of losing it? That is totally valid. In fact, TikTok streaks are reshaping the world of social interactions. At present, it even does the job of saving low-maintenance friendships amidst the hustle and bustle culture of Filipinos. Everyone knows the unspoken rule: Every time you come across a hilarious and relatable video, you immediately send it to your best friend – or even friends. However, they do not have the obligation to watch them. They just need to send another one in return, and the streak goes on.  

With 62.3 million TikTok users in the Philippines that is equivalent to over 40% of the population, it is not surprising that teenagers and young adults were quick to patronize the streak feature. Majority or 43.8% of them belong to users under 18-24 years old with Gen Z’s average of 95 minutes spent on the app; higher than the global average. 

But what exactly is a streak? A streak on TikTok is a badge that appears in a direct message or group chat when you have messaged with someone or a group for 3 consecutive days. Once a streak is active, you maintain it by continuing to send or receive messages each day.  However, if interaction stops and the badge fades without renewing it within 24 hours, the streak ends. TikTok also launched a “Streak Pet” feature, implying that you have to take care of it. If you have maintained a streak with a friend for 100 days, it is considered as a milestone that symbolizes your strong bond with each other. 

Most likely, the friends we share streaks with are those we met at school or work – and the reality is, we have different priorities in life. We cannot stay in contact with them 24/7 and guarantee a sense of connectivity. With this, TikTok streaks are saving the friendships even in the simplest ways:

Streaks are linked to the idea of “I thought of you”

If you spam your friends with 7 videos in a row, they do not have to watch them all. It is just a message that you thought of them 7 times that day. Streaks are important because it is linked to the idea that you remembered the other person no matter how busy your life is. Your own academic or career grinds did not serve as a barrier to make your friend feel alone. With the fire streak badge on the screen, warmth is also felt – not a forced, but a genuine one. This is aligned with the psychological concept of perceived mattering and efforts to maintain friendship, and studies reveal advantages from it. It is associated with improving the friendship quality and develops the sense of trust, intimacy, and satisfies the need for connection. 

Streaks assure that the friendship is still intact

When we spiral through the endless responsibilities life gives, we crave social interaction and a sense of belongingness. Sometimes, when we cannot find time to give it to our friends, we may worry that they might think we do not care about them anymore. Streaks assure the other person that nothing has changed – you are just busy fighting your own battles. It is a gesture of effort to maintain the bond and avoid drifting away with the other person. The simple moments of digital interaction such as streaks represent the ongoing alliance, provisioning a sense of social support and emotional security. It serves as a good implication that the friendship persists despite personal life demands and struggles navigating changes. 

Streaks make friendships thrive despite time, distance and differing priorities

One of TikTok streak’s features is that you have the entire day to do your part in maintaining it. It does not take an hour to do so – but it does the job of maintaining connection no matter how far you are with each other. One fact about low-maintenance friendships is that it is almost impossible to meet with them. Schedules do not align, each have upcoming exams, and free times do not always translate to availability. But with TikTok streaks, you do not have to worry about it all. A consistent exchange of messages with your friend is enough to make the bond last. It also aligns with study findings that constant socialization enhances well being and satisfaction in adult friendships.

Streaks save friendships from being passively neglected 

With a sense of “responsibility” that you need to fulfill everyday, you prevent your life from passively forgetting the value of friendships. The thing is, when we have too much on our plates, we set our valuable relationships aside. We continue going on with pursuing our goals – and there is nothing wrong about it. But even if we do not necessarily want to, it decreases the value we put in our social relationships. With minimal effort, this is stopped thanks to streaks that make us exert efforts in making the other person feel valued. This is positively connected to studies showing that higher levels of compassion stem from consistent interaction with each other. It improves the friendship quality and keeps the relationship alive – even if sometimes, we feel mentally dead. 

Streaks amplify the consistency over intensity idea

Another good thing about streaks is it gives the same sensation as giving a friend a pat on the back. This is beneficial because sometimes, even checking out on a friend requires a lot of energy when life gets heavy. But with staying consistent, you can further grow your low-maintenance friendship. No demands, no burden – just a few taps are required. Psychological research imposes this as reliable and regular interactions decrease the loneliness and social distress busy people endure. With that, it fosters welfare, comfort and security in the bond. 

What happens when the streak is lost? A sense of panic arises. You remind your friend of the digital obligation that you inflicted upon each other. You even make jokes about your friendship being over. Even if they are all just taken with a grain of salt, it is important to put in mind that this can be an addiction. It is fine to resort to digital means of communication to maintain our valued bonds, but it is important to note that nothing comes close to the feeling of catching up with your friends in person. Nothing will ever beat the warmth of their hug and the comfort of having company in real life. 

But as we wait for our lives to be a little gentle, and as we try to survive this hustle culture, TikTok streaks serve as a way to save our low maintenance friendships – until the next time we meet each other.