I'm Bored. Give Me Your Most Unhinged...
Why a chaotic conversation starter works so well in getting people to overshare.
What’s going on?
A new(ish) wave of conversation starters has taken over TikTok and Instagram Reels. They follow a set formula:
“I’m bored. [← optional] Tell me your most unhinged <life hack – or just a story>.”
It started with people sharing wild, chaotic stories: the most out there thing they’ve done in a job interview / during a breakup / at school before it veered into life hacks. Both tracks became increasingly engineered for engagement – and it works, as these videos rack up massive engagement, from likes and shares to the comments,* where thousands of people jump in to share their own story (and one-up others).
What’s driving it?
Social media has always revolved around specific core behaviors – including crowdsourcing knowledge and bonding over shared experiences.
But we’re past the era of wholesome “5 life lessons I learned at 25” or “morning routines that changed my life” – it’s time for deranged hacks. If it sounds reasonable, you’ve probably heard (and tried) it before, and it didn’t work. Cue the extreme solution – functional shortcuts over aspirational self-help.
And in a doomscroll of polished routines and repetitive advice, “unhinged” is a signal that this is a story worth listening to.
What does it mean?
The trend confirms a basic human truth: people want to share their story – they just need the right prompt. (Remember Suzi’s Pesto?)
Brands, creators, and community-builders often work so hard to spark conversations (or join the trending ones) – but it can be as simple as showing up with a point of view that resonates (with some ground rules), then getting out of the way.
The format is deceptively simple, but underneath it’s about prompting:
Set clear boundaries (“Not like this – more like that”)
Be playful, not preachy
Let the audience shine
And yes, it has an engagement bait element, but it works because it doesn’t feel corporate. Despite the algorithmic cynicism people are genuinely bonding through stories and finding solidarity in overshare.
Final takeaway
If you want people to talk, give them something worth saying – and make the ask specific, weird, and just chaotic enough to stick.**
*Interestingly, most of these aren’t duetted or stitched but just as comments on TikTok – potentially a broader shift in user behavior.
** Which is of course very von Restorff effect – more on that in this BBH Labs article on The Stupidity of Sameless and the Value of Difference.