‘How I cook with no kitchen’: An investigation of how #microapartment kitchens are depicted on TikTok

BackgroundPhysical constraints of small apartment kitchens and the influence of the surrounding community food environment may impact food practices of apartment residents. Social media portrayal of these features may influence public perception of apartment living.AimThis project aimed to describe the public depiction of small apartment kitchen and cooking facilities.MethodsContent analysis of TikTok videos posted with small apartment-related hashtags was determined the portrayal of kitchen facilities, residents' food practices, and hypothesised barriers to healthy cooking and eating practices. Current residents of small apartments compared these video depictions to their own experience.ResultsWe found TikTok videos rarely showed food practices (cooking, shopping and eating), kitchen size and function were usually portrayed with a positive or neutral sentiment, and that overall the depiction did not match current apartment residents' lived experience.ConclusionPopular TikTok videos of small apartment kitchens present a glamorised view of microapartment living.