Are you looking for a way to credit someone for the part they played in inspiring content that you make? On TikTok, the go-to way to do this is to say that your video was "IB", or "inspired by", someone else. Keep reading to discover what IB means, and how to use it.
Meaning
The TikTok abbreviation "IB", which may also be spelled in lowercase letters as "ib", stands for "inspired by". Content creators on TikTok use IB to indicate that a trend, dance, or other aspect of their video, was inspired by another creator.
The original creator's username will be added after the "IB" in the video's caption, in other to give that person credit for their work.
It is important to note that the abbreviation IB, meaning "inspired by", is almost exclusively used on the social media platform TikTok. Outside of TikTok, the abbreviation IB is most likely to stand for "International Baccalaureate", a prestigious educational program designed primarily for international students living as expats.
Example Usage
"IB", meaning "inspired by", is really only used in one way on TikTok. Developing trends can often be traced back to a single content creator. As others jump on the bandwagon, "IB" is used to give the original creator some credit. This is done by writing "IB [username or name]" in the caption.
Content creators who would like to try the "26 levels of yo-yo tricks" challenge could, for example say they were "IB Wired" or "IB Harrison Lee", as this is where the trend originated.
Origin
The abbreviation "IB", meaning "inspired by", has risen to popularity on the social media platform TikTok over time to fill a specific need — TikTok enjoys many trends, which numerous creators take part in.
Online articles explaining the meaning of this abbreviation began appearing on the internet in around 2020.
Use of the abbreviation appears to have spread to the image-based social media platform Instagram after IB became popular on TikTok, and IB may also occasionally be seen with the meaning "inspired by" on other social media platforms, including YouTube.
Most of the articles on the subject speak about IB as if it originated on TikTok. It is interesting to note, however, that an Urban Dictionary entry defining "IB" as "inspired by" was made as early as 2015.
This entry offered "This is my new vine! ib: username's vine" as an example of the way in which the abbreviation might be used. It therefore appears that the abbreviation "IB" originally came from Vine, a now defunct video-hosting service that was famous for extremely short clips.
Regardless of its origins, "IB" is a way to offer credit to those who started new pranks, challenges, or trends. Participating in these trends creates original content that was inspired by someone else, and the use of "IB" honors these creative minds.
Words Similar to IB
In other contexts, you might, instead of "IB" (meaning "inspired by") say:
- Credit: [original source].
- Source: [original source].
TikTok creators who are performing a dance created by someone else use another abbreviation, "DC" (or "dc") to mean "dance credit", meanwhile. These situations differ from "inspired by" in that creators are doing the exact same dance as the original creator.
Words Opposite to IB
There are no direct antonyms for "IB", meaning "inspired by". The opposite to using "IB" as a way to credit the original creator on TikTok or another social media platform would simply be to not offer any credit at all. In this case, people in the comments section may call creators out for failing to offer credit.
What Is the Correct Abbreviation?
The correct abbreviation is "IB", meaning "inspired by".
Ways People May Say Accountant Incorrectly
"IB", or "inspired by", should not be used by creators who are making a cover of someone else's song, performing a dance created by someone else, or copying someone else's content.
This abbreviation serves the purpose the words it stands for already suggest: to give credit to new content that was inspired by, not copied from, someone else.
Acceptable Ways to Phrase IB
You can use "IB" on TikTok, or any other social media platform where the abbreviation is in use, to credit the person behind a trend, challenge, or prank you are participating in. In contexts where the abbreviation is not well-known yet, it would be clearer to spell the abbreviation out by saying "Inspired by".