There are two types of people on TikTok. 

Those of us on Avan Jogia TikTok, and those of us not on Avan Jogia TikTok.

If the former Victorious star and multidisciplinary artist isn’t popping up on your For You page, this is your sign to make your way over to his account. 

Since becoming active on TikTok during peak quarantine season of 2020, Avan Jogia has gained an ardent and loyal army of close to 3 million followers.

His adoration on the app grew rapidly, particularly amongst those who grew up watching Jogia on the Nickelodeon show as one of their first examples of brown representation on television.

The more he posted, the more comments and reaction videos poured in from young fans expressing how Jogia’s representation made brown people from many different backgrounds feel validated, especially being on a popular, mainstream show. 

On his rapidly growing Tik Tok page, Jogia playfully jokes about his role, citing that he barely remembers the plotline of the show, and poking fun at his shot in the intro sequence. 

However, Jogia’s grasp on TikTok expands far beyond his role on Victorious, and for good reason. 

Jogia has a magnetic charm and self-awareness about him, that has fostered the creation of such a robust following over the past 6 months. 

Jogia has an endearing unfamiliarity with the mechanics of TikTok, and constantly poses questions to his followers, including asking how to integrate audio into his posts, or making his way over to a different corner of TikTok. 

In turn his followers patiently walk him through it, like an unimpressed parent who enjoys social media here and there, but would tire from it at any moment. 

Jogia also uses TikTok as a space to interact with his fans and bring them into his work. For example, in one such post, he asks his followers to send audio clips of them talking to their friends about what love and relationships mean to them, for him and his brother Ketan to incorporate into their music. 

In another, he’s reciting poetry from his debut book. 

Jogia cultivated an informal space where he can expand upon the nuances of navigating the world as a racialized person, as he handles the many microaggressions in his comment section with grace and wit. 

In response to a comment comparing him to Zayn Malik, Jogia remarks with a puzzled look on his face; “I find this one really funny because I think to myself, do you guys just think that because he’s the only other half-brown guy you know? And… isn’t that a little… racist?”

This multifaceted artist, creative, and entertainer also drops gems to his followers about what it means to navigate Hollywood, and the trials and tribulations of being an actor. 

He describes the life of an actor as a longhaul that requires one to “get comfortable with the concept of rejection.” He speaks plainly about the necessity of passion to succeed, and the perseverance required to resist being washed out by the industry. 

Given his years of experience acting and creating, Jogia’s advice is educational and filled with wisdom.

Like his work, Jogia’s TikTok is reflective of his multitudinous creative interests. His sharp humour, creativity, charm, along with his undeniable good looks (just an added bonus) makes him worthy of a follow, and has certainly won over the adoration of Desi Tik Tok  -- who he adorably spent his time trying to find -- and much of the rest of the world. 

If this post convinced you to join JogiaTok, check out his profile here: @Avan.Jogia

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About the Author: Jeevan Sangha is an aspiring journalist who loves writing silly little articles about pop-culture, media, politics and the South Asian experience while balancing a job in community-engaged learning.