{
  "id": 7397296,
  "title": "I didn't know what TikTok was. My student took my phone, made an account, and changed my career.",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/14/i-didnt-know-what-tiktok-was-my-student-took-my-phone-made-an-account",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-09-14T20:16:01.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Business Insider",
    "slug": "business-insider",
    "url": "https://www.businessinsider.com/chemistry-teacher-student-tiktok-science-experiments-2026-9"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Phillip Cook, a high school chemistry teacher from New York City, has amassed nearly four million followers on TikTok by sharing his chemistry experiments with a global audience. Despite being unfamiliar with the platform, a student convinced him to create a TikTok account, which ultimately transformed his career. Initially, he was unsure what TikTok was, but after trusting his student with his phone, he saw the potential for reaching a wider audience. His first video, featuring an aluminum soda can dissolving in sodium hydroxide, garnered 75,000 views and 5,500 new followers upon its release. Although initially overwhelmed by the sudden attention, Cook decided to continue producing content, albeit with a newfound awareness of the time and effort required. As his following grew, he felt pressure to constantly create new videos, which led to an unhealthy balance between social media and teaching. However, he has since learned to maintain a healthy balance between his day job, family, and social media presence. Cook's TikTok videos have resonated with a diverse audience, equally split between males and females, and of various age ranges. His followers share a common trait: curiosity. He engages with his commenters, answering their quality questions and being candid about his own limitations. This approach has helped him build a strong connection with his audience. Cook's experiences in the classroom have shown him that students often fear making mistakes, but he believes that science is about learning through trial and error. By sharing his experiments on TikTok, he hopes to promote scientific literacy and inspire curiosity in his viewers. As a parent himself, he is also concerned about the potential negative impacts of excessive social media use on children. He has set boundaries for his daughter's online activity and hopes to instill similar values in his own children. Overall, Phillip Cook's journey on TikTok has allowed him to connect with a diverse and curious audience, while also promoting the importance of scientific literacy and exploration.",
  "summary": "Chemistry teacher Phillip Cook joined TikTok at a student's suggestion. His first experiment got 75,000 views and launched his creator career.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}