12/2/19
The other day, I was scrolling through the app TikTok, and I came across this video (click the link to see it). In this video, the dancing guy labeled 'atom' is supposed to represent a happy atom, and the atom is happy because it has acquired the eighth valence electron. I didn't get the joke, but the 200,000 likes on the video told me that 200,000 other kids my age in chemistry got the joke. 200,000 other kids actually knew the chemistry. 200,000 other kids my age actually understand why atoms dance when they acquire the eighth valence electron, and I didn't. I'd been left with nothing to do but forage through the comments to try and find out what a valence electron was. Within twenty seconds of watching this video, I was frustrated and sad. This video reminded me of just how bad I am at chemistry and just how much I'm struggling in Ms. Gluckman's class. We're learning about those exact things in class: valence electrons, orbitals, and periodic order, yet I still didn't get what this video. Not knowing something that every other person on TikTok seemed to understand served as upsetting proof that I am not destined to work in a field that involves chemistry, and that I probably won't do very well on our next test.
This is me:
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I'm glad we're both on the same page
ReplyDeleteI am most definitely failing chemistry no question. Although, I couldn’t help but think about how this could be the perfect ad. The atoms could be the consumers, the valence electrons the product. The valence electrons (product) are what make the atoms (consumers) happy. Not only does everyone laugh and understand the joke, they will also remember the product. If this TikTok were instead an ad it would appeal to a certain demographic of people while also effectively sell their product. That probably doesn’t make sense but that’s what I see in my head. :/
ReplyDeleteI am not in Chemistry, but I completely relate for AP Bio. These tiktoks can also even help us learn more and easily understand the concepts because they are communicated in a way that's familiar to us. There is even an AP Bio teacher on tiktok that makes things way easier for me to understand, because my actual teacher cannot teach.
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