“Hi, my name is Eddie and I’m here with Bronx Science. Today, we’re here with?’

Armed with only the mic of his Apple Earpods, Eddie Jiang ’23 points the device at Katherine Wong ’23, a frequent guest in his videos.

“Katherine.”

“Katherine, what are you crying about today?”

“National Boyfriend Day.” She laughs.

Despite its simplicity, this improvised interview amassed over 57,000 likes and 285,000 views, only a portion of the 4.7 million likes Eddie’s TikTok account has accumulated.

Eddie is no stranger to internet fame. As of December 2022, he has over 113,000 followers, making him a part of the 3% of accounts on TikTok that have amassed over 100,000 followers.

However, he is no overnight sensation; after all, his first viral video dates back all the way back to the beginning of 2021. Since then, he has posted hundreds of more clips on his account, each giving new insights into his day-to-day life.

“I find that the videos are a fun way to collectively share a laugh throughout our school day,” Wong said. “It’s exciting (and scary) to know that so many people have seen them, whether that is within our school community or around the country.”

In this interview, I discussed with Eddie his biggest inspirations and his personal thoughts behind his famed account.

CL: When did you start posting on TikTok? 

EJ: I began posting on TikTok around the time of COVID-19 quarantine, around the height of the Stop Asian Hate movement. What garnered my first large chunk of attention was a video where I spoke about limiting a certain word to only being used by people of Chinese descent. While the video was highly controversial, it was something I felt strongly about, and I was glad I had a platform to express my opinion on an unscrutinized topic.

After that upload, I took a really long break from TikTok, as I didn’t feel compelled to post anything until last year in November 2021. One of my friends and I felt like spontaneously posting, purely for fun with no intention of getting views or likes. I intended for the video to be only viewed by my friends, but it turned out that I didn’t choose the “Friends Only” option and the video was posted publicly to the platform.

Imagine my shock when I saw that 40,000 people viewed what was supposed to be a private video within the first hour I posted it. Not to sound cliché, but it was just any regular day in November.

CL: Do you believe Bronx Science shaped a portion of your content?

EJ: I believe a big portion of my success is due to the friends I’ve made at Bronx Science. I think almost anyone who frequents the senior tables has made an appearance in my videos, either intentionally or unintentionally. Nonetheless, I appreciate every single person who has appeared in my videos, even the random groups of students in the back. They really show the energetic ambiance of our high school, and I always get a laugh from comments asking about what’s happening in the background.

Even during my commute home, I love recording videos and improvising interviews. I do believe I could have continued to make content featuring myself, as some of my earlier viral videos didn’t include anyone but me, but it’s just so much more fun doing things with my friends.

As for the actual classes at Bronx Science, they haven’t really played a role in my content. My videos are made during my free or lunch periods. I don’t want TikTok to interfere with my education.

CL: Despite being a platform that allows users to express their creativity in different forms, TikTok has its fair share of toxicity and hate. Have you ever experienced hate on your page? If so, how did you handle it?

EJ: When millions of people see your videos, not everyone is bound to like what you post. I’m no exception. I’ve definitely gotten comments saying my content is cringe or whatnot. One of my videos has a single comment thread with a guy questioning the use of my face mask, despite COVID-19 still being very prevalent. While it’s technically not “hate,” it shows that there are still ignorant people on my page.

Despite these comments, I think I handle hate pretty well. I don’t dwell in my comment section and I don’t take things personally. When I created my page, I meant for it to serve as a place where I could show the world a facet of my life that holds a humorous place in my heart. I won’t let negative comments influence the purpose of my profile.

CL: Do you regret any content you’ve posted?

EJ: Yes. No explanation needed.

CL: Do you think you’ll continue your account beyond high school? What do you plan to pursue in the future?

EJ: Absolutely! What makes my account fulfilling is knowing that I can post videos purely for my own enjoyment. My biggest motivator is seeing how people respond to the content I have. I enjoy scrolling through the comments, positive and negative, and learning about the demographic the TikTok algorithm presents my videos to. I’ll have comments from people halfway across the country and comments from people with siblings who attend Bronx Science on the same post. It never fails to amaze me how many people have seen my videos.

As for my future, I’m not sure. A lot of my videos revolve around my friends so my content might reflect the personalities of the people I meet in college. Maybe another million people will see my account and like it. I really don’t know. All I know for certain is that my account is a place where I can express myself with no bounds, and just have fun with those I love.

When I created my page, I meant for it to serve as a place where I could show the world a facet of my life that holds a humorous place in my heart.