In the lexicon of recent courting, it’s broadly recognized that inexperienced flags imply a potential companion passes muster and pink flags are to be prevented. However the place do “beige flags” fall? In one in every of TikTok’s newest traits, customers are posting movies about their companions’ so-called beige flags, that are attributes which can be neither good nor unhealthy, however nonetheless give explanation for pause.
With over 570 million cumulative views for the hashtag #beigeflag on the platform, the fast 6-second movies characteristic overlaying white textual content revealing a companion’s “beige flag” traits with a pleasing lo-fi jazz music within the background. It’s “one thing that’s neither good nor unhealthy, however makes you pause for a minute whenever you discover it and then you definately simply proceed on,” defined one TikToker, referencing the City Dictionary definition.
One other person on TikTok defined, “My boyfriend’s beige flag is that he units timers as a substitute of alarms. It’s midnight and he must get up at 6? He’ll set a six hour timer.” A number of feedback mentioned this was a very useful instance: “This made me actually perceive what a beige flag is,” reads one.
Different examples of beige flags vary from companions randomly throwing shock themed events (that nobody else is invited to), to having “zero rizz” (translation: zero swag). However the development doesn’t cease at romantic companions. TikTokers are calling out all the pieces from their finest associates who don’t reply to texts for weeks at a time to their cats’ meowing patterns.
Though the development is at the moment selecting up steam, movies on TikTok describing “beige flags” have been being posted as early as final yr. City Dictionary outlined “beige flags” again in September 2022. This follows the bigger social media development of posting pink flag emojis alongside off-putting habits, which started again in 2021. The “pink flag” development is at the moment making one other comeback on TikTok, with over 2 million movies of customers exhibiting their reactions to the platform’s automated pink flag stickers.
As extra customers catch on to the development, the clear definition of the beige categorization could also be getting muddied. Within the feedback, many individuals are declaring that some movies are complicated beige flags with orange-leaning flags, or full-on pink or inexperienced flags.
One viral tweet with over 130,000 likes calls out a TikTok that explains {that a} boyfriend’s beige flag is that he will get impatient at eating places and helps the waitress convey the plates to their desk. “Lady that’s not a beige flag, that’s not even a pink flag, that’s an air raid siren,” the tweet mentioned in response.
On the intense aspect, those that are sharing their companions’ finest qualities that learn much less as beige than as a verdant inexperienced—like their companion’s taking the Waze app significantly, supporting their TikTok pages, and being socially bubbly—provide one thing healthful to look at at a time when there’s loads of negativity to go round on social media.
“Tiktok’s beige flags are the greenest, most insanely wholesome and superb flags I’ve ever seen in my life,” tweeted one person.
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