SINGAPORE: She’s been a housewife for most of her life, not bringing home a salary. So it never crossed Naomi Krishnan’s mind that at almost 90 years old, she would not just be earning an income but paying her own medical bills.
The job? Acting, dancing and talking with her grandson on social media.
The two had always been close, with 28-year-old Ian Jeevan the favourite of Madam Krishnan’s eight grandchildren – and Mr Jeevan in turn confessing that as a child, he used to cry if he was away from her for too long.
And although most grandchildren might drift apart from their grandparents as they grow older and life gets in the way, Mr Jeevan and his maternal grandmother’s relationship is now stronger than it’s ever been – thanks to TikTok.
Mr Jeevan started becoming a content creator on the social media platform back in 2020, when it was rapidly gaining popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The financial consultant posts videos in both English and Tamil, spanning travel vlogs, skits, dance trends and livestreams.
After not seeing Mdm Krishnan for almost two months due to pandemic restrictions, Mr Jeevan thought he’d celebrate their reunion by doing a dance on TikTok together.
“She was very excited and ready to learn this new dance, and even applied lipstick before we started filming,”he recounted. “So that’s how it started, just a grandma and grandson doing a dance trend together.”
Speaking to CNA in Tamil, Mdm Krishnan, 89, admitted she was “shy and almost a bit embarrassed” when the camera started rolling. But her love for her grandson helped see it through.
Neither of them expected that first video to garner as many eyeballs as it did - 30,000 views.
“There were so many comments asking me to feature her more,” Mr Jeevan said.
Mdm Krishnan has since become a familiar face to Mr Jeevan’s almost 220,000 followers, joining her grandson to cook meals and explore new places.
“People would come up to us and say hi, sometimes asking for a picture,” said Mr Jeevan.
This happens when she’s alone too, said Mdm Krishnan, adding that the nurses at her medical appointments also recognise her.
Content creator Ian Jeevan and grandmother, Naomi Krishnan, often hosts TikTok livestreams together, where they'll answer questions posed by viewers. (Photo: CNA/Syamil Sapari)
What started out as fun videos going viral has now led to the duo being paid to do sponsored content for a range of government agencies and private sector companies.
A paid video they did for the Singapore Civil Defence Force in August 2024 attracted more than 4 million views.
Mr Jeevan said the brands pay him about S$5,000 per video. He stressed he has a “set rate” for Mdm Krishnan and that his grandmother is paid “more than” decently.
“She’s been paying for her own medical bills and dental check-ups with the money that she’s earned from TikTok,” he said.
Mdm Krishnan said she was proud to finally be able to pay for some things with her own money – as well as grateful to be able to be part of something with her grandson.
“I never expected to be able to do any of this at my age,” she said.
Along with their rising popularity has come backlash, directed at Mr Jeevan for putting his grandmother in the public eye.
“Stop using your grandma for clout”, “why are you abusing your grandma” and “why are you forcing her” are some comments he’s received on TikTok.
“Some would even say that I’m faking filial piety and that I’m not actually like that in real life,” he said.
Even extended family members were initially opposed to the attention Mdm Krishnan was getting. “They had her best interest at heart and didn’t want her to receive any negative light,” said Mr Jeevan.
Relatives were also concerned for Mdm Krishnan’s privacy, especially when it came to her whereabouts and where she lives.
Mr Jeevan said he ensures any filming done at home doesn’t give away the location; and that he always double-checks with his grandmother if she’s comfortable with what’s being posted.
Associate Professor Natalie Pang, head of the National University of Singapore’s communications and new media department, told CNA that in such cases, grandparents need to be fully aware of how they’re being represented, and comfortable with the level of visibility they’re giving to complete strangers.
There’s a difference between consent and informed consent, she said. With the latter, a person is fully informed of the implications that can come with content going viral, and is aware if they’re equipped to handle them.
Assoc Prof Pang also warned that the elderly, in particular, could experience anxiety from “all the sudden attention” from gaining popularity on social media.
“They are from a generation that is not equipped or used to handling this attention and may not realise that it is short-lived,” she said.
But the academic also acknowledged that there are seniors who may enjoy the attention and find it fulfilling to be part of social media videos.
Content creators keen to involve the elderly in their videos should explain to them how the social media platform works, and keep them in the loop during the entire production process, Assoc Prof Pang advised.
“Despite life being busy, I still find time to call her everyday," said content creator Ian Jeevan when asked about his relationship with his grandmother, Naomi Krishnan. (Photo: CNA/Syamil Sapari)
Mr Jeevan said he does this to put his grandmother at ease.
Their family now sees the “extent of her influence and the benefits that come with it”, he added.
Mr Jeevan and Mdm Krishnan use their platform to engage in heavier conversations as well, such as sharing her battle against bladder cancer nine years ago, which she once saw as a “death sentence”.
“We don’t shy away from difficult topics,” said Mr Jeevan. “We want her life to be used as a testimony for other grandparents going through similar challenges, and for her to show the wisdom she has to connect with the Gen Zs on the app.”
Mr Jeevan’s videos with Mdm Krishnan are just one part of the content lineup on his TikTok page. But for 21-year-old Ian Thio, all of his over 200 videos on the platform feature his grandmother Ong Siew Hoon.
From similarly starting out by participating in dance trends back in 2021, Mr Thio now has 260,000 followers – and it’s not uncommon for his videos to hit views in the range of seven to eight figures.
Content creator Ian Thio posing for a selfie with his grandmother, Ong Siew Hoon, on Jan 18, 2025. (Photo: Ian Thio)
A 2023 clip of him and Mdm Ong, 82, pretending to be in a dance battle collected 22.5 million views; and this early in 2025 there are already two posts with more than 3 million views each.
Brands such as Netflix, McDonald’s and Jetstar have also approached the pair for paid partnerships.
Still a student currently on an internship, Mr Thio said the four-figure payment from each video has been “helpful.” His grandmother also insists on him keeping it all.
“I don’t need the money at this age,” said Mdm Ong, adding that getting to spend extra time with her grandson was the best “payment” yet.
Mr Thio posts an average of four videos per week, of mostly light-hearted dances or viral trends. And they’re mostly less than a minute long – but some can take up to three hours to film.
“He’s very patient with me,” said Mdm Ong, telling CNA how she often fumbles over dance steps. “I find it difficult to learn and remember the routine, but he always encourages me to keep going.”
Laughing, Mr Thio replied: “She still hasn’t understood that it’s actually a good thing when she messes up; it’s what people love the most about the videos.”
Mdm Ong told CNA she had no interest in being famous. “I’m actually a very reserved person and I don’t like being in front of the camera or to be recognised. But I’m doing it for him.”
She’s also enjoyed learning about content creation – and learning more about her grandson.
“It’s very rare for a grandparent and grandchild to have such a good relationship since the old and young think very differently and have different values,” Mdm Ong said, adding that grandparents shouldn’t expect too much from their grandchildren, and instead try to find ways to better connect with them.
This, said Mr Jeevan, is what he’s been trying to do with Mdm Krishnan for the last four years, regardless of whether it goes up on social media or not.
“I see it as a way to collect memories. I want to spend time and capture all these moments with her when she’s healthy, when she can communicate how she feels.”
“Health is something we can’t take for granted,” he added. “I don’t want to have any regrets.”
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The job? Acting, dancing and talking with her grandson on social media.
The two had always been close, with 28-year-old Ian Jeevan the favourite of Madam Krishnan’s eight grandchildren – and Mr Jeevan in turn confessing that as a child, he used to cry if he was away from her for too long.
And although most grandchildren might drift apart from their grandparents as they grow older and life gets in the way, Mr Jeevan and his maternal grandmother’s relationship is now stronger than it’s ever been – thanks to TikTok.
Mr Jeevan started becoming a content creator on the social media platform back in 2020, when it was rapidly gaining popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The financial consultant posts videos in both English and Tamil, spanning travel vlogs, skits, dance trends and livestreams.
After not seeing Mdm Krishnan for almost two months due to pandemic restrictions, Mr Jeevan thought he’d celebrate their reunion by doing a dance on TikTok together.
“She was very excited and ready to learn this new dance, and even applied lipstick before we started filming,”he recounted. “So that’s how it started, just a grandma and grandson doing a dance trend together.”
Speaking to CNA in Tamil, Mdm Krishnan, 89, admitted she was “shy and almost a bit embarrassed” when the camera started rolling. But her love for her grandson helped see it through.
Neither of them expected that first video to garner as many eyeballs as it did - 30,000 views.
“There were so many comments asking me to feature her more,” Mr Jeevan said.
Mdm Krishnan has since become a familiar face to Mr Jeevan’s almost 220,000 followers, joining her grandson to cook meals and explore new places.
“People would come up to us and say hi, sometimes asking for a picture,” said Mr Jeevan.
This happens when she’s alone too, said Mdm Krishnan, adding that the nurses at her medical appointments also recognise her.
Content creator Ian Jeevan and grandmother, Naomi Krishnan, often hosts TikTok livestreams together, where they'll answer questions posed by viewers. (Photo: CNA/Syamil Sapari)
What started out as fun videos going viral has now led to the duo being paid to do sponsored content for a range of government agencies and private sector companies.
A paid video they did for the Singapore Civil Defence Force in August 2024 attracted more than 4 million views.
Mr Jeevan said the brands pay him about S$5,000 per video. He stressed he has a “set rate” for Mdm Krishnan and that his grandmother is paid “more than” decently.
“She’s been paying for her own medical bills and dental check-ups with the money that she’s earned from TikTok,” he said.
Mdm Krishnan said she was proud to finally be able to pay for some things with her own money – as well as grateful to be able to be part of something with her grandson.
“I never expected to be able to do any of this at my age,” she said.
“USING YOUR GRANDMA FOR CLOUT”?
Along with their rising popularity has come backlash, directed at Mr Jeevan for putting his grandmother in the public eye.
“Stop using your grandma for clout”, “why are you abusing your grandma” and “why are you forcing her” are some comments he’s received on TikTok.
“Some would even say that I’m faking filial piety and that I’m not actually like that in real life,” he said.
Even extended family members were initially opposed to the attention Mdm Krishnan was getting. “They had her best interest at heart and didn’t want her to receive any negative light,” said Mr Jeevan.
Relatives were also concerned for Mdm Krishnan’s privacy, especially when it came to her whereabouts and where she lives.
Mr Jeevan said he ensures any filming done at home doesn’t give away the location; and that he always double-checks with his grandmother if she’s comfortable with what’s being posted.
Associate Professor Natalie Pang, head of the National University of Singapore’s communications and new media department, told CNA that in such cases, grandparents need to be fully aware of how they’re being represented, and comfortable with the level of visibility they’re giving to complete strangers.
There’s a difference between consent and informed consent, she said. With the latter, a person is fully informed of the implications that can come with content going viral, and is aware if they’re equipped to handle them.
Assoc Prof Pang also warned that the elderly, in particular, could experience anxiety from “all the sudden attention” from gaining popularity on social media.
“They are from a generation that is not equipped or used to handling this attention and may not realise that it is short-lived,” she said.
But the academic also acknowledged that there are seniors who may enjoy the attention and find it fulfilling to be part of social media videos.
Content creators keen to involve the elderly in their videos should explain to them how the social media platform works, and keep them in the loop during the entire production process, Assoc Prof Pang advised.
“Despite life being busy, I still find time to call her everyday," said content creator Ian Jeevan when asked about his relationship with his grandmother, Naomi Krishnan. (Photo: CNA/Syamil Sapari)
Mr Jeevan said he does this to put his grandmother at ease.
Their family now sees the “extent of her influence and the benefits that come with it”, he added.
Mr Jeevan and Mdm Krishnan use their platform to engage in heavier conversations as well, such as sharing her battle against bladder cancer nine years ago, which she once saw as a “death sentence”.
“We don’t shy away from difficult topics,” said Mr Jeevan. “We want her life to be used as a testimony for other grandparents going through similar challenges, and for her to show the wisdom she has to connect with the Gen Zs on the app.”
“IT’S ACTUALLY A GOOD THING WHEN SHE MESSES UP”
Mr Jeevan’s videos with Mdm Krishnan are just one part of the content lineup on his TikTok page. But for 21-year-old Ian Thio, all of his over 200 videos on the platform feature his grandmother Ong Siew Hoon.
From similarly starting out by participating in dance trends back in 2021, Mr Thio now has 260,000 followers – and it’s not uncommon for his videos to hit views in the range of seven to eight figures.
Content creator Ian Thio posing for a selfie with his grandmother, Ong Siew Hoon, on Jan 18, 2025. (Photo: Ian Thio)
A 2023 clip of him and Mdm Ong, 82, pretending to be in a dance battle collected 22.5 million views; and this early in 2025 there are already two posts with more than 3 million views each.
Brands such as Netflix, McDonald’s and Jetstar have also approached the pair for paid partnerships.
Still a student currently on an internship, Mr Thio said the four-figure payment from each video has been “helpful.” His grandmother also insists on him keeping it all.
“I don’t need the money at this age,” said Mdm Ong, adding that getting to spend extra time with her grandson was the best “payment” yet.
Mr Thio posts an average of four videos per week, of mostly light-hearted dances or viral trends. And they’re mostly less than a minute long – but some can take up to three hours to film.
“He’s very patient with me,” said Mdm Ong, telling CNA how she often fumbles over dance steps. “I find it difficult to learn and remember the routine, but he always encourages me to keep going.”
Laughing, Mr Thio replied: “She still hasn’t understood that it’s actually a good thing when she messes up; it’s what people love the most about the videos.”
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Mdm Ong told CNA she had no interest in being famous. “I’m actually a very reserved person and I don’t like being in front of the camera or to be recognised. But I’m doing it for him.”
She’s also enjoyed learning about content creation – and learning more about her grandson.
“It’s very rare for a grandparent and grandchild to have such a good relationship since the old and young think very differently and have different values,” Mdm Ong said, adding that grandparents shouldn’t expect too much from their grandchildren, and instead try to find ways to better connect with them.
This, said Mr Jeevan, is what he’s been trying to do with Mdm Krishnan for the last four years, regardless of whether it goes up on social media or not.
“I see it as a way to collect memories. I want to spend time and capture all these moments with her when she’s healthy, when she can communicate how she feels.”
“Health is something we can’t take for granted,” he added. “I don’t want to have any regrets.”
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