TikTok is often stereotyped as a platform for young people. While a plurality of its users are under the age of 29, TikTok still has a sizable group of users who are on the older side—and some have become so popular that they’ve been dubbed “grandfluencers,” i.e. elderly influences.
However, while some of these grandfluencers are creating content on their own, among the biggest creators on the platform are elderly creators whose content has been curated, or designed top-to-bottom, by younger creators.
In a panel at SXSW on March 12, 2024, TikTokers in the grandfluencer space, both on- and off-camera, gathered to talk about their experience on the platform. Hosted by Kelsey Weekman, Retirement House (@retirementhouse) co-creator Brandon Chase, content creator Ross Smith (@rosssmith), and Retirement House cast member Gaylynn Baker took to the stage to make their case that the elderly have a deserved place on TikTok—and revealed a new project from the Retirement House creators.
On the panel, Baker revealed that she was originally only hired for 2 video shoots to play a character named Mabel, with the narratives and videos of Retirement House planned by Chase and his team.
“When I started with Brandon, I didn’t know what a TikTok or an influencer even was,” she told the crowd. To this day, Retirement House is treated like a “TV show,” Chase said, including planned shoots and choreography.
“If you’re older and you’re going to do something like this, link up with a really talented young person that can create content,” advises Baker.
That said, Chase noted that he tries his best to make the content seem as naturalistic as possible.
“We’re at a point now with social media where people love authenticity. I think that’s sort of what our page and brand is all about,” he explained. “There’s a huge percentage of the population that is not being marketed to…[and] it’s just a breath of fresh air to see older people on social media.”
“I don’t want to make it sound too corporate,” he added. “This has become more like a family.”
Baker agreed to this, saying that she and others on the cast have begun influencing the content on the TikTok page, and Chase explained that ventures like the group’s podcast allow the cast to express themselves more openly. This freedom and support is something Baker says she enjoys.
“I have a lot of things that I want to say to people, and now people are listening,” she said.
Toward the end of the talk, Baker let slip that the TikTok creators of Retirement House will be debuting an animation. Few further details were given about it, though Baker says they’ve already been shown what they will look like for their animated versions. Several cast members “asked to be made prettier” after seeing them, she laughed.
It’s unclear where this animation will be released, though Chase mentioned that he would like to have a proper Retirement House television show in the future on a platform like Netflix or Max, something to which Baker agreed.
Overall, Baker shared that, even if one does not have a production team or creative agency behind them, there are many opportunities for those who want to break into the “grandfluencer” area. The first step, she says, is simply doing it.
“Don’t get to my age and regret that you sat behind that desk your whole life waiting for something to happen. Just make it happen,” she said. “Do not fear aging, it’s full of joy and a lot of surprises—but don’t let them trick you into getting old!”
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