Facing your debt can be painful. Watching someone else deal with theirs can be gripping.
That became clear to Rodney Morgan in July, when he posted a TikTok of himself sitting on a blowup mattress with his head in one hand, and his debt tally of $40,058.44 imposed on the screen.
“I’m rebuilding from scratch as a flight attendant and being honest about where I’m starting,” wrote Morgan, a 33-year-old Los Angeles resident.
It was a changeup from his usual posts about life as a flight attendant, and racked up 1.5 million views—far more than the roughly 100,000 views he said his previous best-performing videos drew.
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TikTok is filled with influencers dispensing all manner of advice on how to get ahead financially, whether it is saving to retire early , earning a passive income or using credit-card rewards to fund a globe-trotting lifestyle . But users are also finding big audiences showing the private money struggles many would be too embarrassed to share.
The format is simple: Users share the exact amount they owe, along with updates on how they are chipping away at the figure—or suffering setbacks. Viewers tune in to see the numbers move up and down and root for people, often weighing in with advice.
@rodneyirl I’m rebuilding from scratch as a flight attendant and being honest about where I’m starting. The starting balance is $40,058.44. The goal is not just to pay this off. The goal is to stay out of the hole, build better habits, and eventually build wealth as a flight attendant. If you are rebuilding too, you are not alone. #debtpayoff #flightattendantlife #buildingwealth #personalfinance ♬ original sound – rxi
More than 28,000 debt-related videos were uploaded to TikTok in the 12 months through September, according to Tubular Labs, which tracks social-video viewing.
Part of #DebtTok’s draw is that it addresses a taboo topic that people feel they can’t discuss even with friends and family. Like gossip, the videos let viewers size up other people’s financial choices and measure their own against them, said Brooke Erin Duffy , a Cornell University professor who studies social-media culture.
Personal-finance gurus like Suze Orman and Dave Ramsey gained huge followings by dispensing advice to callers who shared their money problems. TikTok videos cut out the guru—the host is the person with the problem, not the one giving advice.
Viewers tune in for the drama of a hero’s journey, like a movie where someone takes on a big obstacle, said Brittney Castro , a certified financial planner at Chime , a mobile banking app.
“It’s so human to want to see that person win and succeed,” she said.
For those posting about their debt, racking up views can help pay off bills. TikTok pays creators for some popular videos, and viewers can send virtual gifts during livestreams. Creators also earn income when brands sponsor their posts, or a cut when followers buy through links they share.
After Morgan’s video took off, for instance, a personal-finance app offered him his biggest social-media deal yet. He expects the sponsored post to pay off a piece of his debt: the roughly $800 left on the Home Depot and Lowe’s cards he opened to remodel his house.
Every night before bed, Tianna Carter records an update on her debt, sometimes at 10 p.m. in her kitchen. “I look forward to it every day,” she said.
Carter, a 31-year-old human-resources director for a public school district, didn’t say at first the amount she owed: $54,057.93. Then she decided to share the figure.
“People understand more and can relate more to my number,” said Carter, who lives in Harrisburg, Pa.
@mommacarterx2 Day 24/365- 9.14.26. If you are on a debt payoff journey as well, let’s be friends! We can cry together 🤣 #debt #debtpayoff #micropayments ♬ original sound – mommacarterx2
Her followers don’t always agree with her choices, such as her spending on her personal upkeep. “How am I supposed to keep you accountable if you’re getting your hair done?” one commenter wrote.
Carter said she treats salon visits as fixed costs and cuts elsewhere, like bringing lunch to work. She puts the money she makes from her posts toward daycare costs and paying down her debt.
When Kayla Rose was in college, her father gave her a credit card for groceries and gas. She ended up using it to buy clothes, workout gear and home décor as well, promoting some of what she bought in her videos.
Rose, now a 29-year-old full-time influencer in Palm Beach, Fla., told followers in March that she owed more than $25,000 on credit cards and planned to pay it off with money she made from her videos. The posts about her debt brought new followers, and she paid off the cards in August.
“What paid off my credit-card debt was these silly little videos you guys are currently watching,” she told followers.