FarmTok: The Wholesome Social Media Trend I Can’t Get Enough Of

A noise-polluted life on one of London’s busiest roads didn’t choose me… for some reason, I chose it. As sirens jolt me awake each morning, I often wonder where I went so wrong. But despite my best intentions to start my day phone-free, more often than not I unlock my iPhone, hit Instagram, and start scrolling. Contrary to what you might expect, what I find brings me the purest form of joy: not photos of influencers holding the latest It-bag, nor reels of manicures in motion, but rotund red robins cheeping on frost-covered branches, or snapshots of sunsets over verdant fields. Other than experiencing the real thing, what could be better?

I guess you could say I’m one of the many millions of people who are obsessed with #FarmTok right now. While I can personally take credit for only a few of the 9.4 billion views on the topic on TikTok—being in my thirties is my only explanation—over on Instagram I’m consuming wholesome nature content like no one’s business. And my algorithm is taking note. Alongside the new Love Island contestant “Farmer Will,” an innocent and earthy character who takes selfies with lambs (obsessed), there are a number of outdoorsy, nature-worshipping accounts that I can’t get enough of. 

If it all sounds rather Famous Five, well, actually, it’s rather understandable. The term “biophilia” refers to the innate human urge to immerse ourselves in—and connect with—the great outdoors. Many of us city dwellers spend our entire lifetimes trying to boost our contact with the natural world, whether that’s packing our flats with “air purifying” plants (that’s called photosynthesis, guys) or employing biophilic design (such as floor-to-ceiling windows, which bring the outside in). It’s clear that we all need our fair share of Mother Nature to stay sane. And while I may not have slick architecture or rugged moorland at my disposal, what I do have with me at all times is my phone.

One of my favorite accounts to peruse is the thoroughly soul-soothing Putman and Robin, on which gardener Tony Putman documents his friendship with a robin named Bob. Hearing Bob chirp away to his human friend is the very definition of heart-melting, wholesome stuff, and has helped me through a number of stressful moments. Tony says the comments from his 105,000 followers tell a similar tale.