Growing Up Watching Sunsets

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About

Growing Up Watching Sunsets is a slang expression popularized by mothers on TikTok in the context of not wanting their children "growing up watching sunsets" (meaning growing up without a mother), often in the context of suicide due to postpartum depression, as watching the sunset can represent missing someone who died. Videos using the phrase became popularized on TikTok in February 2023.

Origin

On February 21st, 2023, TikToker^[1] @laceyyyyg posted a video of herself holding her daughter, captioned, "god I'm so tired, but I don't want her growing up watching sunsets," garnering over 16 million views in three days (shown below). In this context, "growing up watching sunsets" refers to the daughter expressing the loss of her mother by watching the sunset. The TikToker is seemingly referring to the act of suicide, which is associated with postpartum depression.^[2]

@laceyyyyg mommy loves you. #fyp ♬ som original – 19h.43mn

Spread

The phrase spread across TikTok^[3] over the following days as mothers posted similar videos with their children (examples shown below, left and right). On February 24th, 2023, HITC^[4] and The Sports Grail^[5] reported on the expression as it continued seeing increased usage.

@t0tallyn0t3mmaa #greenscreen ♬ original sound – Moon ☁️🖇️

@km.baughman check on the new moms ..#fyp #newmom #postpartum ♬ son original – .02h.88m

Various Examples

@thereallifehac Replying to @zoeerose97 #watchingsunsets #unaliveawareness #whyselfcarematters #whyselflovesimportant #takecareofyou #pleasereachout ♬ original sound – LIFEHAC (life-hack)