What Is The Backup Camera Trend On Social Media?

A new social media trend has TikTokers posing in front of their cars' backup cameras and lip synching to tracks as if they were in a music video. There appear to be a few common threads across examples of this trend online.

Backup Camera Music Videos

The first staple of this trend is that the clips are set to a snippet of the 2011 Kelly Rowland/Lil Wayne track “Motivation” off the album “Here I Am,” like this TikTok uploaded by TikTok user @queen.bayk, which shows two women in a parking garage lip synching to the song while lighting up what appears to be a joint.

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Another example posted by TikToker @notsobad._.bxtch shows two women wearing sunglasses while also squatting directly in front of a car’s rearview camera. As they lip-sync to the same track, the vehicle’s rear lights beam on their face.

A third instance shows TikTok poster @kpbarbz3 and a friend wearing Halloween costumes while smiling and posing in front of a Tesla backup camera.

In the past, memes and social media trends have prompted a surge in popularity for a new track. For instance, the Mannequin Challenge back in 2016 helped to get folks to stream the song “Black Beatles.” Such trends have also helped the resurgence of older music, like when Fetty Wap’s “Again” soared in popularity after memes showcasing the song went viral.

Activating A Car’s Backup Camera

Some of the rear camera memes appear to be taken by drivers who set their phone to record inside their car’s cabin before exiting their vehicle. Typically, car systems will automatically engage their backup cameras whenever they put their rides into reverse. However, they also allow drivers to engage these lenses even when their cars aren’t in reverse.

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For instance, Tesla writes that drivers can view live feeds from the several onboard cameras via their infotainment camera apps. Drivers simply need to tap the “Camera” icon on their interior display, which will present them with various feeds.

They can even keep the rearview camera view on their dash console screen while driving. Folks in the Tesla Motors Club forum discussed this option in response to one owner who wanted a bit more time to check their surroundings whilst parallel parking.

However, this isn’t always the case. Some cars don’t allow for commuters to keep their rearview cameras engaged as they actively drive, and others, like some Dodge Durango, Honda Pilot, Jeep, and Chevrolet models, only allow for riders to keep the camera engaged for a few extra seconds until it shuts off. Many newer Chevys, like one Corvette owner highlighted in this Mid-Engine Corvette forum discussion, allow for full rearview camera functionality when the vehicle is put in drive.

If you’re thinking of engaging in the backup camera trend, it’s probably best to not put the car in reverse. Keeping someone sitting in the car with their foot on the brake could end poorly. The Smith Law Center writes that anywhere from 6,700 to 7,419 people each year are either severely injured or killed by “backover accidents.”

InsideEVs has reached out to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for further statistics on reverse collision statistics. TikTokers @kpbarz3, Queen Bayk, and @notsobad._.bxtch were also reached out to via TikTok direct message for further comment.

 

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