The Rise of PuzzleTok: Gen Z's Newfound Obsession with Jigsaw Puzzles

The mental health benefits of jigsaw puzzling have been well established and is reason alone to pick up a jigsaw puzzle. But what else could be contributing to the rise of the puzzling craze (besides the pandemic, of course)? Behold, we bring to you PuzzleTok: an obsession with jigsaw puzzle videos on social media platform TikTok.  

 

@acollz

More interesting puzzles are in the links on my home page.##puzzle ##jigsawpuzzles ##puzzler ##sugardown

♬ Bubble - Official Sound Studio

 This Tiktoker is completing the
500-piece Round Signs of the Zodiac Jigsaw Puzzle

At face value, TikTok might not seem like the most likely platform for people to congregate and share their love for something as slow-paced and as meek as jigsaw puzzles. So, besides the obvious fact that jigsaw puzzles are aesthetically pleasing, what else makes PuzzleTok so satisfying?

@puzzlesnonstop

last pieces of the puzzle ##timelapse ##jigsawpuzzle ##puzzle ##puzzles ##jigsawpuzzles ##rompecabezas ##jigsaw ##jigsaws ##sequence

♬ Way Back Home - Shaun

This Tiktoker is completing the
1000-piece Round Colour Palette Jigsaw Puzzle

Many of the top viewed jigsaw puzzle videos capture that satisfying final click of the last puzzle piece falling into place with the rest. They attract hundreds of comments, with many users seemingly scared of the puzzle suddenly breaking as the last piece clicks into place. Psychologically, it seems that the anticipation alone of watching this moment and not knowing what will happen is enough to trigger a hit of dopamine from the brain's rewards systems. In other words, although viewers may not be physically present to complete the puzzle, we can still share in the success of others which in turn activates the brain's feel-good reward systems. 

With jigsaw puzzle related hashtags having in excess of 18 million views combined and counting on social media platform TikTok, it seems our grandparents' favourite pastime is far from going out of fashion. 

@britt__miller

##stitch with @bluekazoogames I’m a walking Blue Kazoo ad ##puzzle ##puzzletiktok ##jigsawpuzzles ##jigsaw

♬ original sound - Brittney

More from Rest In Pieces

Piece together the perfect present - Rest In Pieces jigsaw puzzle gifts will help your TikToker friend go viral:

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