FYI: The "How Strong is Your Sink" TikTok Challenge Has Nothing to Do With Sinks

Some people on TikTok seem to have suddenly become super interested in bathroom construction. How do we know? Well, they keep asking people, “How supportive is your sink?” There’s only one reason why someone would ask that, right? It’s because they’re concerned your sink might fall down at any minute. Right? Right?!

Or maybe they’re trying to test something else. That’s right, the “How supportive is your sink?” trend on TikTok is actually a prank. It will probably make you roll your eyes, but we have to admit that it’s also kind of clever. Here’s what you need to know — especially before you go climbing all over your bathroom vanity

Basically, “How supportive is your sink?” is the new “Is your refrigerator running?” — but with a bit of a twist. The trend can be traced back to April 22, 2020, when TikTok user @mandrewmyers uploaded a video with instructions for completing a “mandatory sink strength test.” All you have to do to perform this mandatory test is sit on your sink (“one leg is fine”), arch your back, and take a picture to send to anyone asking how supportive your sink is. 

“But wait!” you might be saying. “How does sitting on top of my sink and arching my back prove how strong my sink is?!” Well, it doesn’t, really. That’s because anyone who’s asking how supportive your sink is doesn’t actually care about your sink.

If it’s not obvious, this TikTok trend is basically just a way to “trick” someone into taking a picture that shows off their body. Think about it. One leg to “add weight”? Arched back? There’s only one thing being emphasized in a picture like that, and it’s not structural integrity. Now, to be fair, it doesn’t seem like anyone is falling for this prank. The people who participate in it know exactly what they’re doing and have no qualms over posting the “sink strength test” videos on TikTok. 

And, hey, if you were wanting to take a, um, flattering picture of yourself and didn’t know where to start, then the sink strength test might be a good jumping off point. However, you probably should make sure your sink is actually supportive before you hop up there. Otherwise, there can be disastrous results:

As with most pranks (both on TikTok and otherwise), as long as everyone is having a good time and it’s all for laughs, we’re solidly in the “no harm, no foul” camp. It’s just one of those things to be aware of before you participate, but again, we’re pretty sure everyone participating in the prank is well aware of what’s actually going on.

And obviously, if you’re actually concerned about how supportive your sink is, there are better ways to test its strength that don’t involve perching precariously on the edge of the sink (or taking a selfie). They’re not nearly as much fun, though.