Food trends that thrive on TikTok and Instagram need to have a strong visual hook. Something about the thumbnail image must capture users’ attention and get them to stop their scrolling, so viral hits like the Dubai chocolate bar and Chamoy pickles rely on bright colours, clear lighting, and — in many cases — creators making eye contact with viewers and taking a big bite of the dish in question.

This trend of social creators eating up-close-and-personal on camera has been a major influence on food-related TikToks and Instagram videos for years now, and while this video style is polarizing (more on that later), it definitely succeeds in getting users to click and watch.

But why do viewers find it compelling to watch creators chew and swallow? To dig deeper into this trend, we turned to a group of social media marketers, content creators and psychologists.

The eye contact and intimacy help creators connect on a personal and authentic level with their followers.

It may have derived from a trend back in the early 2010s, when the South Korean trend of “mukbang” became a worldwide fascination. Mukbang videos featured creators eating on camera and discussing the food as they chewed and swallowed, and in most cases, mukbang involved large quantities of food being ordered and consumed.

Today’s eating videos don’t always follow the mukbang formula exactly; the “eating a lot at one time” part isn’t nearly as popular as it once was, largely because audiences are now more cognizant of food waste. But the choice to make eye contact with the camera while eating remains as widespread as ever because this type of body language creates a sense of closeness between the creator and the viewer.

Inigo Rivero, a former TikTok employee who now works as the marketing director for TikTok-focused agency House Of Marketers, explained that “these videos where creators eat while interacting with the audience are not just food-related — they are a connection. The close-up shots, the sounds of crunching and slurping, and the personal commentary make it like having a friend to share a meal with, and that is why it is working.”

This type of content helps viewers forge “a parasocial........

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