TikTalk: the dialect of our mirror universe

the conclusion of the "pancake brain" series

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I have contemplated a parallel reality since I, a 26-year-old woman, went to Jingle Ball at Madison Square Garden.

Six weeks ago, in indigo-lit floor seats., my college friends and I sipped tequila and pineapple juice and danced behind very skinny teens with eclectic wardrobes. My college friends Erica and Amanda through a connection had gotten free floor tickets and backstage passes (passes primarily for people who wanted food and drink in the Delta Lounge and glimpses at screen celebrities like Cody Rigsby or Tayshia from The Bachelorette—which was, it turns out, me).

While my friends and I stood and danced over our metal folding chairs, the teenagers in front of us filmed Instagram stories with phone cameras high quality enough that I watched the concert through their scree…