FIRST GLASS OF WINE IN 8 MONTHS!: AN EXAMINATION OF SOBER CURIOUS COMMUNITIES ON TIKTOK

Abstract

This paper presents findings from an ongoing project focused on sober curious communities on TikTok. In this paper I argue that these communities offer a haven from in ‘intoxigenic’ digital spaces for individuals navigating the complexities of sobriety. This research examines the implications of TikTok's emergence as a locus of sociality for the sober curious movement, both in terms of individual well-being and broader societal attitudes towards addiction and recovery. Central to this is an exploration of the creative and expressive practices employed by individuals within sober curious communities and the attitudes and experiences of those who follow them. The paper draws on qualitative data from interviews with 28 sober curious TikTok users and a systematic content analysis of 800 TikTok videos. Emergent findings reveal insights into the role of TikTok in destigmatizing addiction, fostering empathy and promoting positive representations of abstinence and resilience. Three key themes with be explored: the value of digital storytelling, the nature of TikTok accountability, and the visibility of failures or relapses. These themes underscore TikTok's significance as a platform for personal expression, accountability, and community-building within the sober curious movement. Combined, these themes speak to TikTok as an important platform for the sober curious. TikTok allows the messy, unpredictable, embodied and digital practices and experiences of sobriety to play out. Reframing sobriety beyond medicalised narratives of addiction to provide a more nuanced and freeing set of practices and contexts that enable respondents to rethink and re-evaluate their relationship with alcohol.