A distinct divide involving class, microaggressions and underrepresentation has emerged at the University of Edinburgh – and it all began with one TikTok account, @theedinburghtab.

Some chronically online readers may be familiar with the current drama, nevertheless, this drama warrants some exploration.

The Tab, a self-proclaimed site for students and by students, has skyrocketed into one of the UK’s biggest youth media sites, covering student culture and issues. The Tab contains smaller branches of social media that are specific to each major city’s universities, including the Edinburgh Tab.

With 22.3k followers on Instagram and almost 7k followers on TikTok (albeit, both now private accounts), @theedinburghtab creates short and incisive content aimed to cover the true Edinburgh Uni experience, interviewing students on the busy cobble streets and student self-insert memes about being hungover and exam season. However, the TikTok collective is currently facing criticism for its lack of Scottish representation and anti-Scottish comments made on their public account.

Many Scots began pointing out the lack of representation – commenting their critique on the Tab’s public account. In response to this, the Edinburgh Tab formed a cut-throat approach when replying to criticism, often deflecting or taking a stab at ‘dry humour’.

Funnily enough, replying to a comment regarding the lack of Scottish representation, one admin suggests they’ll go visit Glasgow instead, because the people there are funny (Thanks, I guess?). Continuing, one user remarks on an on-the-street interview that there was “not a scot in sight”, to which The Edinburgh Tab replies, “as god intended”, which comes after the video posted when they pretend to interview a person to ask if they are Scottish, to only walk away when they say yes.

This TikTok drama may seem slight, however it highlights a bigger issue. In response to the rise of anti-Scottish sentiment and lack of Scottish representation, that students claim is not only exclusive to online comments, Scottish students have also spoken out about the gentrification and extortionate housing rates in their home city, low acceptance rates, harder admission requirements and casual xenophobia they face in lectures and seminars.

The University of Edinburgh Scottish Social Mobility society (@UofEScots) has formed in light of the mocking comments made by the Tab, sharing experiences from Scottish students who have been mocked or ridiculed for their accent in classes, and the casual classism against Edinburgh Napier students who are called “poor scum”.  

Although the Tab may fall back on their dry humour as an excuse, it still doesn’t deviate from the issues that Scottish, often working-class, students face that relates to a wider contextual sentiment of classism and microaggressions within their own communities.