About

How Old Are You is a TikTok audio and lip dub trend taking the catchphrase from the character Spencer in the show Criminal Minds when he's talking about his age and the characters not knowing his age. The audio became a way for people to show their obliviousness to their younger or older siblings' ages before it evolved into being about the passage of time that's taken place since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Origin

On November 6th, 2022, the TikTok account @fbi.jareau^[1] uploaded the clip, which comes from season seven, episode 11 in which the character Spencer reveals that he turned 30 when it was believed he was 29, showcasing the lack of attention he had received from the rest of the cast throughout the show's run. This TikTok would go on to get over 600,000 likes in two months, as well as allow the sound to be easily used by others in remixes (shown below).

Spread

The audio format began to spread rapidly after it was introduced, with many using it for the purpose of showing how unaware they are of the passage of time. For example, on December 8th, 2022, TikToker @afrlds^[2] used it to showcase how many still believe that 2009 was only eight years ago instead of 13, earning over 2.1 million likes in one month (shown below).

The audio format then began to evolve and the usage shifted to being centered around the coronavirus pandemic and how it affected teenagers who went into it as younger teens and are now almost adults. For example, TikToker @matiaspeter^[3] uploaded a TikTok on January 3rd, 2023, in which they declare that they were 12 when the pandemic began before having their facial expression change to despair as they realize they're turning 17 this year (shown below).

Various Examples

Search Interest

External References