CARENCRO — A Carencro woman is gaining a big following on a social media app geared towards people more than half her age. You've probably heard of TikTok or even gone on the app during the quarantine. It allows users to create and share short videos. 66% of worldwide users are under the age of 30. However, 73-year-old Carencro native Flora Young is using the app to reach and encourage that youthful audience, including someone in her own family.
Young also uses TikTok as a new way to bond with her granddaughter, Olivia.
"She just came over one night, and asked if i knew about TikTok, well I didn't. Back in my day we didn't have anything like that," Young said. "I just thought it was going to be a fun thing for us to do together."
But this grandmother isn't just dancing around on the internet.
"She loves to tell her story, and empower other women to get out of abusive relationships," Young's granddaughter Olivia Savoie said.
"I was mentally abused by my husband, and that's what most of my TikToks are about" explained Young.
She uses the platform to share the happiness she found after leaving what she says was an abusive marriage in the 70s.
"Most people would say, I can't believe you're going to leave when you have three children. Well, you don't stay because you have children, your kids are more miserable watching the parents in a terrible situation," Young said.
Now users reach out to Young, thanking her.
"They'll comment how I was encouraging to them," stated Young. "A lot of people have a hard time leaving. It gives them incentive, courage, to get up and do what they want to do."
Young now has more than 70,000 followers. You can follow Young on TikTok - her username is @YouWishIWasYourGranny.
"I'm happy if they're happy watching a granny, because not too many grannies like to act and be crazy."
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