How this TikTok family from Kentucky keeps going viral with 'wholesome content'

Genesis Malone, Louisville Courier Journal
·3 min read
Social Media Influencers, The McFarlands, pose on the red carpet at the Unbridled Eve Gala on May 6, 2022 in Louisville, Kentucky.
Social Media Influencers, The McFarlands, pose on the red carpet at the Unbridled Eve Gala on May 6, 2022 in Louisville, Kentucky.

What started as a way to pass the time during the COVID-19 lockdown has turned one Louisville, Kentucky family into a viral social media presence.

With 3.5 million followers and over 90 million likes, the McFarlands are one of TikTok's top creators.

"We create wholesome content," said Dan McFarland, the patriarch of the group. "I think people really like that, it really is how we are as a family and a lot of people can identify with that."

The McFarlands are no strangers to the world of social media. Starting out on Vine, brothers Colin and Dylan began to create content and post it to social media apps like Twitter and Instagram and eventually TikTok.

"There's no better place to put videos than TikTok," Dylan McFarland told he Courier Journal.

As the pandemic continued, TikTok began to gain popularity, and so did the McFarlands.

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One of their first viral videos, the "Blinding Lights" challenge, caught the attention of millions all over the world. In the video, sons Dylan and Colin convince their dad, Dan, to join them in the dance challenge, centered around a song by the Weeknd of the same name.

"You asked for it... Here it is," the post read.

The video has more than 8 million views, 1.6 million likes and nearly 15,000 comments. It's also been shared frequently on other social media sites

Since the "Blinding Lights" challenge, the McFarlands continue to go viral with their funny and relatable content, setting up the camera whenever possible.

"When we were in the lockdown, mom was working from home, and when she was in the home office we would come in and make videos, she would tell us 'boys give me a few minutes I'm working,'" Colin McFarland said.

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The McFarland boys have since moved out of the family home, but they always find time to return home to make content shown on their social channels.

"Most of our TikTok comments say the boys need to move out, that they're too old to still be at home, but we always find time for the family to be together," Dan McFarland said.

You can find the McFarlands making content on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube. The family of five says they would love to branch off on a television show in the future and continue to make content for their fans.

"We've always made videos of the funny moments. Now we have everyone involved and we get to share it with everybody," mom Kathy McFarland said.

The McFarlands will be a featured creator at the 2022 US VidCon, presented by TikTok, taking place on June 22-25 at the Anaheim Convention Center, 800 W Katella Ave., Anaheim, California.

Tickets can be purchased at vidcon.com/tickets.

Reach Features Intern Genesis Malone at gmalone@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville's McFarland family goes viral with latest TikTok trends