What is POV? The trend making Gen Z go "crazy" on TikTok?

What is POV? POV stands for "Point of View" (personal perspective), which Gen Z has transformed into a unique video format on TikTok. POV creates an "immersive" experience by placing viewers in the main character's position, activating deep empathy mechanisms in the brain.

"POV: You're scrolling through TikTok and see thousands of videos starting with these three mysterious letters..."

Sound familiar? That's exactly the power of POV - a trend that has completely changed how Gen Z tells stories, expresses emotions, and connects with each other in the digital space.

But why can such a simple format create such a cultural phenomenon? The answer lies in the complex psychological mechanisms that neuroscience has just discovered.

Gen Z is "hacking" the brain with super engaging POV videos

What is POV and How Does It Work?

Definition and Nature of POV

POV stands for "Point of View", originally a professional term in film production and video games. However, when it "migrated" to TikTok, POV became a completely new content format with distinctive characteristics.

On TikTok, POV creates short videos that simulate situations from a first-person perspective, allowing viewers to experience as if they are the main character in the story. Unlike just observing from the outside, POV "pulls" viewers into the action, creating a sense of direct participation.

The Psychology Behind POV

The appeal of POV isn't just entertainment - it stems from deep psychological mechanisms. When watching POV videos, the "mirror neuron" system in the brain is strongly activated. Many people wonder what POV is and why it's so captivating.

When watching POV, the viewer's brain automatically performs "embodied simulation" - meaning they don't just understand but also "feel" the emotions and actions in the video as if they were experiencing it themselves. This is why POV can create powerful emotions in just a few short seconds.

Neural cells "explode" when watching POV - science has proven it!

Why Did POV Become a Global Phenomenon?

Research on TikTok's Addictive Nature

According to research published in Frontiers in Psychology journal in 2022, TikTok has one of the most advanced algorithms and highest addiction rates compared to other social media platforms. The study with 659 Chinese adolescents showed that TikTok creates a "flow experience" through three factors: enjoyment, concentration, and time distortion.

While this research doesn't specifically mention POV, we can infer that the POV format - with its ability to create highly "immersive" experiences - may amplify these effects due to its nature of placing viewers in the main character's position.

Impressive Numbers About Popularity

The #POV hashtag is one of the most popular hashtags on TikTok, with 89 million videos and billions of views. Although the exact numbers change constantly, #POV remains one of the most used hashtags, only after "super large" hashtags like #fyp (55+ trillion views) and #foryou (31+ trillion views).

In Vietnam, with 67.72 million TikTok users aged 18 and above at the beginning of 2024, POV has become an integral part of young people's digital culture.

89 million POV videos - an "amazing" number that makes everyone admire

When and How Did POV Explode?

Origin and Development

Although the exact origin is still debated, many studies suggest that POV began appearing on TikTok in 2019. One of the earliest POV videos was recorded on February 17, 2019, by user @benoftheweek.

However, POV truly "exploded" in late 2020, right when the pandemic forced people to stay home. During this period, the need for entertainment and social connection through virtual spaces increased, and POV became a way to "live" experiences they couldn't have in reality.

The Role of TikTok's Algorithm

TikTok's algorithm particularly "favors" the POV format because of these characteristics:

• High watch time: POV usually keeps viewers engaged longer due to its "immersive" nature
• Strong interaction: High comments, shares, and response video creation
• Viral potential: Easy to create a "domino" effect when viewers want to create their own POV

From zero to hero: POV's "upgrade" journey through the years

Who's Dominating the POV World?

Gen Z - The POV "Artists"

Gen Z (born 1997-2012) is not only the main consumer group but also the primary creators of POV. To understand what POV is, we need to look at how this generation uses this format. With 54% of global TikTok users being female, POVs about emotions, relationships, and personal experiences dominate.

Specifically, successful POV content creators usually have the ability to:

• Capture the community's general psychology
• Create situations "everyone has experienced"
• Use sound and effects creatively
• Understand internet culture and Gen Z language

Multi-Generational Spread

Interestingly, POV has transcended Gen Z boundaries. Millennials (1981-1996) and even Gen X (1965-1980) have started experimenting with this format, creating POVs about:

• Family life and parenting
• Professional experiences and careers
• Childhood memories from an adult perspective

From Gen Z to Gen X - POV "conquers" all age groups

Where Does POV "Live" and Thrive?

TikTok - The "Cradle" of POV

TikTok is where POV was born, providing the perfect environment for this format's development. To understand what POV is, we cannot ignore TikTok's role. TikTok's characteristics that suit POV:

• Short video format: Suitable for creating focused "scenes"
• Rich sound library: Provides a foundation for audio storytelling
• Diverse effects and filters: Helps enhance POV's authenticity
• Smart algorithm: Pushes quality POV content to the right audience

Expansion to Other Platforms

POV has successfully "migrated" to:

• Instagram Reels: With a similar format to TikTok
• YouTube Shorts: Focusing on longer, more educational POVs
• Facebook: Mainly POVs about family and adult life
• Snapchat: POVs with high privacy and personalization

POV "invades" all platforms - no one can escape!

What Are the Popular Types of POV on TikTok?

Classification by Content

Romantic POV: Takes up the largest percentage with situations like "POV: Your crush texts you at 2 AM", "POV: You meet your first love after 5 years". This type explores deep emotions about love, breakups, and jealousy.

Humorous POV: "Tragicomic" situations everyone has experienced like "POV: Mom calls your full name", "POV: Your home WiFi goes down right at deadline time".

Family POV: Describes typical moments in Asian families like "POV: Parents ask about test scores", "POV: Grandma forces you to eat more rice".

Professional POV: Recreates characteristic situations of each profession like "POV: You're a teacher and students submit late assignments", "POV: You work in customer service with difficult customers".

POV "covers all" the genres you can think of

Classification by Storytelling Technique

Direct POV: The viewer is the main character, camera films like their eyes.

Indirect POV: The content creator plays someone else, looking at the camera as if looking at the viewer.

Multi-angle POV: The same situation told from multiple different POVs, creating a continuous video series.

From romantic drama to comedy - POV has every "taste"

How Has POV Changed Digital Culture?

A New Way to Process Emotions

POV has become a "psychological tool" helping Gen Z:

• Handle stress: By turning difficult situations into content
• Express themselves: Create "ideal versions" of themselves
• Seek empathy: Connect with people having similar experiences
• Learn coping skills: Observe how others handle various situations

Impact on Language and Communication

POV has created a "new language" in communication:

• Concise expression: "POV: When you..." instead of lengthy descriptions
• Scenario thinking: Viewing life as "scenes" in a movie
• Visual communication: Prioritizing storytelling through images over written text

To understand this mechanism better, we need to see how POV has completely changed the way young people express themselves on social media.

POV is "rewriting" how Gen Z communicates!

Current POV: Trending in 2024-2025

Historical POV with AI

One of the newest and most controversial POV trends is historical POV created using artificial intelligence. Videos like "POV: You wake up in 1351 during the Black Death pandemic" or "POV: You're a Chernobyl worker in 1986" have attracted tens of millions of views.

Accounts like @timetravellerpov lead this trend, creating "historical role-playing" scenes from the Pompeii disaster to medieval life. The most popular video "POV: You wake up in 1351 during the Black Death pandemic" has reached over 19.5 million views.

POV About Vietnamese Culture

In Vietnam, what POV is has been "localized" with content rich in local culture:

• "POV: Tet holidays but still single"
• "POV: Parents ask when you'll have a boyfriend/girlfriend"
• "POV: Eating pho the wrong way in Hanoi"
• "POV: A Northern person trying bun bo Hue for the first time"

Generational Gap POV

POV trends about differences between generations are very popular:

• "POV: Gen Z explains technology to grandparents"
• "POV: Gen X parents using social media"
• "POV: Life before smartphones"

AI creates historical POV - the hottest new trend of 2025

Where Will POV's Future Go?

Virtual Reality Technology and POV

With the development of AR/VR technology, what POV is could become:

• 360° POV: Viewers can look around in the POV environment
• Haptic POV: Feel touch through wearable devices
• AI-generated POV: AI creates personalized POV based on individual preferences

POV in Education and Training

Schools are experimenting with POV to educate students in new ways. The application of what POV is in education is opening up many creative approaches:

• Teaching history through "you are a historical figure" POV
• Life skills education through situational POV
• Professional training through "a day in the life of..." POV

POV in Psychological Therapy

Therapists are exploring using POV to:

• Help patients express difficult emotions
• Practice social skills through simulation POV
• Process trauma through "rewriting the story" POV

POV's future: AR/VR will make everything real

The "Dark Sides" to Be Aware Of

Risks from TikTok's Addictive Nature in General

Research from Brown University in 2021 showed that social media apps, including TikTok, are designed to work like slot machines. "Swiping down" to refresh the feed is like pulling a slot machine lever, and the random reward model (good or bad videos) creates a similar addiction cycle.

The "Perfect Life" Effect

POV can create unrealistic life expectations through:

• Describing idealized romantic and relationship situations
• Creating pressure to have a life "worth making into POV"
• Encouraging constant comparison with idealized experiences

Impact on Brain and Behavior

Research from the University of Minnesota shows that TikTok can become a "dopamine slot machine" - continuously providing short-term stimuli that make users struggle to focus on long-term activities. For those curious about what POV is, this effect may be amplified due to its highly "immersive" nature.

Plot twist: POV also has a "dark side" to be cautious about

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Is POV Just a Passing Trend?

Tomorrow there might be a new trend replacing POV, but the impact it has brought to online culture and Gen Z's communication style will last long-term.

And who knows, maybe POV will evolve into something bigger, more cinematic - or as Gen Z would say: "absolutely cinematic"! Whatever happens, the question of what POV is will continue to be searched by those who want to better understand this unique cultural phenomenon.

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FAQs

• What does POV stand for in English?
  POV stands for "Point of View" in English, meaning perspective or viewpoint. This term was originally used in literature, film, and photography to indicate the storytelling angle or observation perspective of the narrator/camera operator.
• What is the correct spelling of POV?
  POV should be written as P-O-V (all uppercase) or pov (all lowercase). Don't write PoV or Pov since this is an acronym. In Vietnamese, you can write "POV" or translate it as "góc nhìn" (perspective).
• How is POV different from selfie or vlog?
  POV focuses on putting viewers in the character's position, creating an experience "as if you are the person in the video." Selfie is just taking photos of yourself, while vlog records daily life from the creator's perspective.
• What are some similar acronyms to POV on social media?
  Some similar acronyms include: GRWM (Get Ready With Me), OOTD (Outfit of The Day), ASMR (Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response), FYP (For You Page), IYKYK (If You Know You Know).
• Is POV a new trend or has it been around for a while?
  POV as a term has existed for a long time in literature and cinema, but using POV in social media videos only became popular from 2019-2020 on TikTok, then spread to other platforms.