If You’re Wondering What ”DTN” Means on TikTok, You Aren’t Alone

There will always be some words or phrases that specific cultures will hold on to, and some terms rise and fall out of fashion more frequently than popular food crazes on social media (remember when everyone was going nuts over rolled ice cream), but all in all, language is an ever-changing, constantly evolving entity.

The internet has its own language, with specific communities developing their own terms. A popular acronym that's been making the rounds on TikTok now is "DTN," but what does it mean?

If you're a big-time fan of Stone Cold Steve Austin's DTA, "Don't Trust Anybody" phase, then you'll definitely be nodding your head in agreement with "DTN" on TikTok, as it basically means the same exact thing: "don't trust no one."

It can be argued that this piece of advice is appropriate to use in a variety of different situations. Thinking of going into business with someone? Maybe don't take everything that they say at face value and ask for evidence for all of the claims that your potential business partner is making. DTN and make sure your bank account is safe.

Or maybe someone's trying to sell you a used car with a price that's too good to be true, especially these days, when supply-chain issues are causing car dealerships to sell even their least desirable models above MSRP. DTN and ask to see the Carfax and make sure the vehicle hasn't sustained any significant damage to the frame or has any mechanical issues to prevent you from being stuck with a lemon.

For the purposes of TikTok and various social media posts, however, it seems that the acronym is widely being implemented in posts about the heartache of going through a tough breakup, or in the pursuit of romantic relationships.

It appears that there's a large number of posts that utilize DTN to indicate that men are unfaithful, as another interpretation of the saying is "don't trust [n-word]s," which suggests that men are more likely to cheat. There are studies that seem to confirm this assumption, too.

The Institute for Family Studies writes, "In general, men are more likely than women to cheat: 20 percent of men and 13 percent of women reported that they’ve had sex with someone other than their spouse while married, according to data from the recent General Social Survey (GSS)."

The data also suggests that men and women are more likely to cheat on their partners as they get older. Women between the ages of 40-49 are most likely to cheat, according to the study (18 percent of those polled said that they were sexually unfaithful) while the biggest demographics of male cheaters peaked for men who were between the ages of 50-59 (31 percent said they cheated.)

On TikTok, there are throngs of somber DTN posts where folks are lamenting breakups, urging others not to trust those they are dating or thinking of pursuing a relationship with.