How do cross-generational teams find synergy in navigating online trends and captivating a fickle audience? — Image by freepik
One day at a family dinner, Chin Shane Wei pointed his camera at his grandmother, Tan Saw Sin, and asked, “Ah Ma, what are you cooking today?”
His 77-year-old Ah Ma, the affectionate Chinese term for grandmother, had prepared a weekend feast, as she often does.
“It brings the family together. People rarely miss it because everyone knows that Ah Ma makes the best food,” says Chin, 20, during an interview with LifestyleTech in Kuala Lumpur.
Chin, a budding content creator, continued filming as Ah Ma detailed the dishes she was preparing for the gathering. On the menu that day were thosai, brinjal chutney, mutton curry, ayam masak merah, and nasi tomato.
“I thought it would be interesting to show what Ah Ma made for dinner. So I asked her if I could upload the video, titled ‘Ah Ma’s Feast’, on my TikTok channel (@inshaneats). She was more than happy to let me do so,” Chin recalls.
When Chin first started his content creation journey, he focused on showcasing his culinary skills in the kitchen, but it didn’t attract much attention. His first video in March 2023, featuring a grilled cheese sandwich with tomato soup, garnered only 1,900 views.
Chin has been showing off his grandmother's cooking on TikTok. — CHIN SHANE WEI
He then shifted to exploring popular eating spots in his hometown of Penang, but even that failed to gain significant traction.
Everything changed with “Ah Ma’s Feast”, which garnered more than 120,000 views. Encouraged by the response, Chin posted a sequel, “Ah Ma’s Feast 2”, featuring dishes like baked crab and nasi ulam. This video has received over 350,000 views.
Viewers were particularly intrigued by Ah Ma’s nasi ulam, prompting Chin to film a detailed video of her explaining the laborious preparation involved. The nasi ulam video became a viral sensation with over one million views.
“I was excited to share the news with Ah Ma. We sat down together to read the comments, and it was interesting to see everyone’s unique take on nasi ulam,” says Chin.
Old meets new
Content creation on social media is typically associated with the younger generation keeping up with the latest trends, such as dancing to popular songs or taste-testing viral food places.
However, Chin’s partnership with his grandmother shows that viewers are eager to see the older generation become an active part of the social media space.
In the comment section, viewers often jokingly asked Chin if his grandmother had room for another grandchild. And when Chin posts a food-related video without his grandmother, viewers will ask if it is because she wasn’t cooking that day.
Despite the social media fame, his grandmother remains grounded, remarking that the line of fans outside her house asking to be adopted has become too long.
Adam says viewers can’t get enough of his grandmother Rose. — ADAM SHAMIL
Sabah-based content creator Adam Shamil’s grandmother, Rose Cheam, 82, is another fan favourite on social media platforms like TikTok (@iamadamshamil) and Facebook (@adamshamil94).
Since 2017, Adam, 29, has been sharing videos featuring his interactions with Cheam, such as her reactions to innocent pranks.
In one TikTok video with over 1.3 million views, he pretended to get his hand stuck in a jar and asked for Cheam’s help. His grandmother’s reaction, from concern to being unamused when she realised it was a prank, had viewers laughing in the comment section.
“Since I started featuring my grandmother (whom he calls ‘Mak’) in my videos, viewers have been asking to see more of her! People can’t seem to get enough of grandparent- grandson interaction because it’s so wholesome to them,” Adam says.
Behind the scenes, Adam says most recordings are unplanned – he won’t know what the outcome of the video will be until he’s done with the recording.
“I try my level best to capture her when she’s in a good mood,” he says, adding that he usually hides the phone behind an object or makes it look like it’s charging to avoid her noticing it’s recording.
“My grandmother had a very difficult life growing up with hardship. She was also a single mother when she was younger, so being on camera was not something that felt natural to her,” he says.
As for Chin, he doesn’t give his grandmother any direction with the cooking videos.
“I talk with her about what dish she wants to make for the day. Then I record the hook, which is the introduction designed to reel in viewers. After that, we just go with the flow. When we are more natural, I find that this gets a better reaction from viewers,” he says.
Since his grandmother isn’t active on social media – he says, she mostly uses her phone to play mobile games, with Candy Crush being the favourite – Chin likes to plan ahead and explain trends to her so she can better understand what they need to do.
For instance, she may not be aware that on TikTok users typically record themselves doing humorous content using a popular soundbite from songs, TV shows or movies.
They might be reacting to a question or situation, and the context of the video is usually conveyed through the song or sound playing.
“I will show her how the video will be done. It will take me a few times to explain the concept to her, but she’s always down to do it,” he says.
Adam feels that his grandmother is still getting used to the social media fame, as there have been times when she has said that she doesn’t like a certain video.
“She’s very funny about it. Some days, she will say, ‘I don’t want this video!’ and then, next thing you know, she will want to know how many views we got,” he says.
Adam has also featured her in sponsored content by giving her cues on what to say or do.
“When I say a client has approached me and wants her to be in a video, she will jokingly ask if they have the budget to afford her. She has her own rates now!” Adam says with a laugh.
Whether the videos do well or not, Adam doesn’t want to burden his grandmother with having to keep up with changing viewer mindsets or the latest social media trends just to stay on everyone’s radar or the recommended videos page.
“It’s not important, and I don’t want to put any pressure on her. To me, this didn’t start out as a means for a business. If anything, I’ll always go back to how I began with wanting to document and preserve my moments with her,” he says.
It takes two
Last month, a Kelantan-based student who only wanted to be known as Fara went viral after sharing a video documenting a moment featuring her great-grandmother, Mas Awang, 88, on her channel on TikTok (@rooroww).
Student Fara has been sharing her experience caring for her great-grandmother with viewers on TikTok. — FARA
In the video, the 23-year-old shared a poignant moment following an incident where her grandmother, who faces multiple health challenges, was unable to reach the bathroom in time.
Fara, who lovingly cares for Mas full-time, reflects on their bond, noting that her grandmother has been her guardian since childhood, as she didn’t have the chance to grow up with her own parents.
“There was a day when I had to leave for a test after cleaning her and putting on her diapers. Unfortunately, she had an ‘accident’ and couldn’t make it to the bathroom on time. When I got home, I started cleaning up, and she tried to help,” Fara recalls.
The video received more than one million views, with many viewers expressing how touched they were by Fara’s dedication and how Mas wanted to assist despite her health challenges. Some viewers also shared their own experiences of caring for an ageing loved one.
“I was touched by everyone’s messages. My intention was just to share my experience and to spread awareness about how our loved ones need to be cared for and that we shouldn’t neglect them,” she says.
Fara continues to share more videos on social media featuring her great-grandmother, who she says is aware of the positive reception they have received online.
“She wants me to say ‘thank you’ for the moral support. Some have also reached out to provide help,” Fara says.
Beyond the number of likes or views, Chin says the process of recording his grandmother has also brought the family together.
His grandfather has also appeared in some of the videos and often asks Chin if he could see the clip to vet the content before letting him upload it: “He wants to make sure Ah Ma looks good.”
As Chin continues to record his grandmother in the kitchen, he finds himself learning something new every day.
“There are times where she could easily whip up a meal in less than half an hour, and I would be amazed by that. Only my grandfather will complain that I sometimes take too long to record because he can’t wait to start eating,” he says in jest.
He hopes to see more content creators take the opportunity to film with their grandparents.
“I can’t express how it feels to see my grandmother getting recognised when outside because of the videos. I’ve always looked up to her and it’s nice to see others feel the same way.”
Chin says his grandmother is excited to share more of her cooking. “She wants to make a Nyonya kuih video! And we also hope to shoot some travel videos together,” he adds.
Their newfound fame has even led to a TV appearance.
“After the viral nasi ulam video, we had a shoot with a local TV station. It was funny to see family members who don’t usually help in the kitchen suddenly show up and pretend to cut ingredients. It felt like we had an army of unpaid background actors,” he says with a laugh.
Ah Ma, always ready to start recording once she’s in her trademark kebaya, looks forward to making more content with her grandson.
“It’s a good thing. Look at me, I’m so old already but can still become famous!” she says.
