Original Coverage & Source Attribution: www.yahoo.com
On TikTok and Instagram Reels, users are attaching the catchphrase “While They’re out Partying BTW” to videos of their most impressive feats and skills in what’s now a viral trend.
This meme trend has been blowing up since the end of 2025, and now it’s experiencing a huge surge in popularity thanks to some speedy burger wrappers.
So, what exactly does the catchphrase mean in the context of the meme, and how did the trend start? Here’s what we know.
What Is The ‘While They Are Out Partying’ Meme?
The meme got its start as early as December 2025 on TikTok. That month, TikToker @bellaa.1e posted a video where she makes fun of another viral video of someone squatting in a funny way. In the video, she displays the caption, “While they’re out partying BTW,” as she performs the funny squats.
The joke is that, while everyone else was out partying and having fun, she perfected her specific, useless squatting technique.
This video launched the trend, which continued to pop up on TikTok and Reels over the next few months in reference to similarly useless or underwhelming skills.
How Is ‘While They Are Out Partying’ Used In Memes?
As a meme, the catchphrase “While they’re out partying BTW,” is added to videos of someone doing a useless or underwhelming skill.
Sometimes the shown activity isn’t even a skill, such as an example that places the caption over a video of someone missing shot after shot on a basketball net.
The meme had a surge in popularity between September and October 2026. Some of the most viral versions of the meme show TikTokers practicing their burger wrapping technique.
In these videos, the users practice their hand movements and then wrap fast food burgers incredibly fast.
What Are Some More ‘While They Are Out Partying’ Memes?
For the full history of the ‘While They Are Out Partying’ trend, be sure to check out Know Your Meme’s encyclopedia entry for more information.
