Why Are Grandmas Taking Over TikTok?

Older women are taking over TikTok because their authentic perspectives, practical life skills, and humour offer comfort to younger audiences while actively reshaping perceptions of aging. By sharing daily outfits, home-cooked meals, and candid life updates, creators in their 70s, 80s, and 90s have built massive digital communities that translate into substantial commercial earnings.

How are older creators making money on social platforms?

Older creators earn significant revenue through sponsored social media partnerships with food, beauty, and drink brands, as well as sales from published work. In some instances, these digital careers generate far more money than the creators ever made during their traditional working lives.

Lillian Droniak, a 96-year-old creator based in Connecticut who posts under the name Grandma Droniak, has built an audience of 15 million followers. Her grandson edits her sponsored content, which includes deals with food and cosmetics companies. The revenue she earns directly funds her retirement living, covering her nursing home costs of $12,000 (£9,000) every month while also supplying a college savings fund for her great-grandchildren.

Similarly, 83-year-old Grace Geramita, known online as Nonna Gracie, moved from Italy to the United States when she was 18 and spent decades working multiple jobs simultaneously to provide for her two daughters. Today, her cooking content generates more income than any of her past jobs. In Wales, 82-year-old Viv Truran limits herself to a couple of sponsored posts per month, taking on partnerships that fit her values. A recent collaboration with Age UK and Innocent Drinks earned her several thousand pounds.

Who are the most prominent older influencers online?

The rise of older creators spans several distinct personalities across the United States and the United Kingdom, each focusing on their own niche:

• Lillian Droniak (Grandma Droniak): At 96, she posts comedy, lifestyle updates, and dating commentary. She went viral in June after her retirement home threatened to evict her for hosting parties. The facility later agreed to a settlement allowing her to continue holding gatherings as long as she does not supply alcoholic beverages.
• Viv Truran: Based in Cardiff, the 82-year-old launched her account on Instagram after her husband died, following a neighbour's suggestion to film her colourful daily outfits. She now produces two videos every day from a bedroom studio, displaying an extensive collection of 22 pairs of glasses and two drawers full of scarves.
• Grace Geramita (Nonna Gracie): An 83-year-old home cook who shares traditional Italian family recipes she has prepared for decades. Her grandson Matthew convinced her to start filming six years ago, overcoming her initial hesitation regarding technology and speaking English.
• Barbara Costello (Brunch with Babs): A 77-year-old former teacher who shares practical homemaking, cleaning, and cooking advice, along with authoring her own cookbook.

Why do younger audiences follow older social media personalities?

Younger users follow older creators because their content provides a comforting, family-like presence online and eases anxieties about getting older. Many followers are young enough to be the creators' grandchildren, and they look to these women for warmth, mentorship, and practical guidance that they may not find elsewhere.

As Naomi Barker from the influencer marketing agency We Are Social told BBC News, these creators provide reassurance during uncertain times and often function as a "virtual grandma" for their audience. Followers regularly tell Barbara Costello that she represents "the mom I never had." A university student once approached Costello in a public restaurant to share that her cookbook had guided her through the challenges of living independently for the first time.

In Cardiff, Viv Truran is frequently approached in public by women in their 20s and 30s who explain that they are afraid of aging. Truran's vibrant daily styling proves to them that growing older is not something to fear. Droniak echoes this sentiment, explaining that younger people often assume older adults simply sit and stare at walls, whereas her videos show that older people can continue to have fun, attend parties, and embrace life.

Why are commercial brands paying top rates for older creators?

Commercial brands pay a premium to work with older influencers because their fanbases are exceptionally loyal, emotionally invested, and possess strong purchasing power. Unlike transient internet trends, accounts run by older creators tend to maintain steady, trusting communities that respond positively to product endorsements.

Barker explained to BBC News that these creators cultivate "deeply established, highly loyal" audiences, adding that the greater purchasing power of these follower bases "carries a massive premium" in digital marketing. Because their followers view them as trusted maternal or grandmotherly figures, their product recommendations carry significant weight.

Despite lucrative opportunities, many of these creators remain highly selective about the commercial agreements they accept. Truran noted that she turns down major corporate deals if the products do not align with her personal taste, preferring to focus on local businesses and charitable campaigns. Costello similarly evaluates potential sponsors carefully before deciding whether she is willing to attach her name to a brand.

How does digital fame affect these creators' offline routines?

Digital fame has introduced strict production schedules into the creators' daily routines, though their immediate social circles do not always grasp their online celebrity. While they may be stopped on the street by fans, their peers at home often remain detached from the internet culture surrounding them.

Truran treats her content creation with firm discipline. She refuses to leave her bedroom in the morning until she has recorded her first outfit video of the day. To monitor her audience growth, she manually logs her follower numbers and view counts in physical notebooks, currently recording statistics in her fifth volume.

For Droniak, celebrity status does not translate to her living environment. While strangers recognise her in public, fellow residents in her retirement community do not understand her internet fame because they do not use TikTok. For Costello, the public response offers emotional milestones, such as meeting former teaching pupils who attend her cookbook signings alongside their own children.

Syed Aqeel — verified this story.