How a Viral Aging Filter Trend That Started Sour Turned Sweet

This week, TikTok was abuzz with an ‘Aged’ filter that supposedly offers a glimpse into how we might look as we get older. It has already been used a staggering 15.4 million times, capturing the attention of everyday users and celebrities like Kylie Jenner, Amy Poehler, and Jenna Bush Hager. The reactions weren’t overwhelmingly positive to say the least, with some users joking it was time to book a Botox appointment while others simply hoped the filter was mistaken.

Users started wondering how accurate this projection might be, putting the filter over old clips of actors like Harrison Ford and snippets from Friends. To their astonishment (or as some put it, horror), they discovered the filter seemed eerily spot on. Experts explained that the filter’s precision comes from recognizing and magnifying the natural sagging and creasing that appears on our faces over time, mirroring the natural aging process.

Not everyone was disappointed by their results. Some recognized their parents or grandparents reflected back to them, while others expressed excitement about reaching that chapter of life. Some had bittersweet reactions, using the filter to help imagine a parent or loved one who didn’t have the privilege of aging.

No one said it better than Amy Poehler, who smiled at her ‘Aged’ reflection and thought, “May I be so lucky.” May we all embrace aging with the same gratitude and optimism as Amy.