Online Networks and Social Change

TikTok: How the Social Media Giant Created a New Wave of Advocacy

Abstract

Under the stream of Online Networks and Social Change, TikTok, the newly found video sharing platform, will be examined and how its popularity amongst Gen Z has effectively led to a third place for advocacy on global issues. Using a vast range of references and sources from academic journals to popular culture news articles and blog posts, the role online networks are playing in creating exposure and advocacy on global issues will be conducted and how this social media platform has allowed for global issues to garner the attention of millions overnight. From expert opinion to the users of TikTok themselves, the newly found application has the ability to create lasting social change as a knowledge community  

Introduction

TikTok was founded in August 2018 by internet company ByteDance, after purchasing Musical.ly, a similar video sharing app, and transforming into TikTok, a much more refined app with more advanced algorithms. Nearly three years on, TikTok has 689 million monthly users worldwide, and over 2 billion downloads total (Mohsin, 2021). Over 60% of TikTok users are considered Gen Z (Muliadi, 2020), referring to individuals born after 1996 (DiMattio, Hudacek, 2020). “Generation Z is one of the most diverse generations yet, with high levels of education, digital nativism, social and cultural awareness and high propensity to be more expressive” (Muliadi, 2020, n.p). 

This paper will be exploring how TikTok has become an extremely successful third place and knowledge community, for Generation Z in particular, to educate and share resources to advocate for global issues such as the Black Lives Matter movement.

TikTok: How the Social Media Giant Created a New Wave of Advocacy 

It is no secret that the presence and prevalence of social media has changed the way individuals interact with each other, and in some cases completely replaced in-person interactions. However, this doesn’t mean the newly implemented role social media has taken in society, is necessarily a bad thing. Yes, whilst social media can lead to addictions, narcissism, self-esteem issues and lack of social skills (Dutot, 2020), there are upsides to the role it plays in the lives of all people in contemporary society.

The digital space that exists in our world today has allowed for a mass communication of information across a large scale of demographics all over the globe, and information is being shared like never before (Santander et al., 2020). With this, social media sites such as Facebook, Instagram, YouTube have become over-saturated due to the number of users, and the desire to “blow up” on the platform and gain a large number of followers. The ability for everyday individuals to gain followings and then quite their day job to become full time “influencers” suddenly became a dream of even school aged children. Much distant from the dream job described by children ten years ago such as hairdresser, vet, teacher etc. The sudden prospect of being able to post on your favorite social media sites for a living caught the attention of those, particularly in Gen Z, to become famous, but with these existing apps already completely saturated with those of the same desires, there left no room for differentiation.

Sociologist, Ray Oldenburg proposed the idea of “third place” in which the “unrelated can relate” (Riggs, 2020, para.3) and “community is most alive, and people are most themselves” (Riggs, 2020, para.3). These third places include libraries, hospitality, parks, describing a place other than home or work. With increasing prevalence of social media in everyday life, online places can also be referred to as “third place”. This has allowed for social media applications to play a more active role in the lives of users, and thus creating a sense of community and belonging. These applications are “founded upon the norms of everyday interaction adapted to an online setting” (Markman, 2011).  During the Covid-19 pandemic where people were physically distanced, social media was one of the only available connections and support systems available to the isolated (Saud et al., 2020).

Enter, TikTok. A shiny brand-new app, with barely any existing users and the ability to create a platform with little to no competition (Bucknell Bossen, Kottasz, 2020). As stated previously 60% of TikTok users are considered to be Gen Z, thus creating an unspoken exclusivity on the app, the same way My Space was reserved for mostly millennials. This is where the third place is created. If you ask anyone in Gen Z if they have TikTok, it is extremely likely they have an account and use it quite regularly. TikTok as a social networking site has well and truly overtaken any other application in terms of inter communication between a generation (Bucknell Bossen, Kottasz, 2020). The third place has been established through constant interaction between users on the app via video sharing, liking, commenting and reposting.

An online knowledge community consists of a group or community “specializing in knowledge sharing and seeking” (Liu et al, 2016., para.3). TikTok, when focused on advocacy exposure, has the ability to operate as an incredible share space for resources, links, promotions and to organize events when focused on the right issues.

In June of 2020, during the largest civil rights movement in history, CNN Politics reported the hashtag #blacklivesmatter garnered a total of 4.9 billion views (Janfaza, 2020). As of April 2021, the hashtag is now up to 25.4 billion views (TikTok, 2021), a number almost too large to comprehend. This is just one example of the large-scale advocacy ability of this app, and the role it could play in exposure of global issues as a knowledge community.

In light of the deaths of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd in 2020, many creators, particular those of colour, switched to posting activism content in hopes of being able to spread a viral message and create a movement on the app, thus creating a knowledge community (Rosenblatt, 2020). This began an internet movement as information was being shared around in masses, raising awareness on the issue of police brutality in the United States. Whether if it was recounts of incidents, links to petitions, phone numbers or emails to contact organizations and authorities on behalf of the public’s concern, this was a community created on the platform that would go on to form an extremely important knowledge community as the information they shared sought to seek justice. Whilst TikTok did not start the #blacklivesmatter campaign solely, it became an incredibly powerful resource in order to advocate on these issues, as all videos on the platform have the ability to go viral and garner millions of views and likes due to algorithms. Since this, due to public outrage and

Creators with already established platforms of ten million plus, as well as everyday people began creating videos encouraging people to sign petitions, donate to victims’ families, attend sit ins and marches organized in cities. However, the app ran into criticism at the end of May when a glitch caused the views on certain hashtags to render 0 even though they had gathered millions of views (Andrews, 2020). TikTok issued a statement to form a “creator diversity council” to promote diversity on the app and bring awareness to important issues (TikTok, 2020). Issues similar to these arise often in the social media space but despite these challenges, social media “remains the most unfiltered way someone can easily pass on a message” (Andrews, 2020., n.p).

With the momentum of these meaningful changes happening because of these platforms, June 2nd, 2020 was to be known as “Blackout Day” in which TikTok released a statement “standing in solidarity…as a whole against the horrendous recurrence of injustice in the long fight against inequality, racism and violence” (TikTok, 2020., n.p). The entire day was dedicated to posting helpful and meaningful content to the Black community and the posting of all other content was discouraged. The hashtag #TheShowMustBePaused has collected 46.4 million views (TikTok, 2021). This is an example of the power TikTok has a third place as well as a knowledge community in the fight against these issues as the app gained momentum into seeking justice for victims of police brutality. Over the course of the #blacklivesmatter movement, #georgefloyd garnered 4.8 billion views (TikTok, 2021), and #breonnataylor garnered 409.5 million views (TikTok, 2021). This shows the magnitude and scale in which these issues were being brought to the attention to the users of TikTok.  

This knowledge community created through TikTok has allowed for an entire new demographic to become aware of the issues occurring in the world. Teens are not commonly watching televised news or following traditional forms of media (Common Sense Media, 2019), this is where a third place and knowledge community begin to tie together and cohesively bridge that gap and bring these issues to the forefront of the minds of those, that would otherwise not be aware. A survey conducted by Common Sense Media in 2019 saw that 54% of teenagers sourced their news a “few” times a week via social media (Common Sense Media, 2019). 64% said that they prefer to consumer their news in a visual format either via pictures or videos (Common Sense Media, 2019). This allows TikTok to become the perfect third place for younger audiences to be educated on current events and issues occurring in the world through the knowledge community created on TikTok.

In addition to the promotional exposure TikTok offers the chance of virality, TikTok introduced the 200-million-dollar creator fund in July 2020 to allow creators on the app to get paid per view on their videos (Way, 2021). This allows any creator with ten thousand followers or more, and a minimum of eighteen years of age to earn money for posting on the app (TikTok, 2020). This is beneficial to accounts and creators who use their account for advocacy issues as they can earn money for their posts, which can be put towards furthering their work if they wish to do so. This also creates an incentive for more people to try to build their own platform on the app, thus bringing more traffic which allows for further monetization and growth of the platform and more publicity to this new wave of advocacy.

Generation Z has firsthand experienced the role online networks and social media play in one’s life from the beginning. In the Netflix Documentary “The Social Dilemma”, Jonathan Haidt, New York University Social Psychologist states “an entire generation is more anxious, more fragile, more depressed” (Haidt, 2020, 41:25). If there were to ever be a generation that has felt the impact social media has on the world and individuals, it would be Gen Z, and this creates a desire to flip the narrative and begin using these platforms for the benefit of society instead of viewing it as the villain in the lives of teens today.

Considering these factors, it is apparent that TikTok has effectively and cohesively being established as a third place in cohesion with knowledge communities. It has a unique ability to be able to bring people together from a vast range of demographics and variety of content to allow for social change to be brought to social media and a new form of advocacy begin. Looking at the course of history, online networking is only a newly established industry and whilst the infatuation with social media and the digital age is under constant examination, users appeal derives from the need to connect and present oneself for validation (Markman, 2011). Using these platforms online networks and their ability to create social change gives us a chance to deem something rooted in narcissism, self-absorbance and selfishness, a chance at bringing a higher purpose to fruition.

There was a point in time, where everything was done for the first time. And whilst this is a new concept, the blending of online networks and social change, I believe it too has the ability to be done for the first time, and for it to stick. Time will tell if these third places hold the ability to act as activism platforms and, whether or not they will bring about real and everlasting change. However, in my eyes, the benefits far outweigh the possibility of failure. I see TikTok as a well-established third place for resource sharing in which it holds the golden ticket to bring about social change and justice in contemporary society.

References

Andrews, T. (2020, June 12). Tinder, TikTok and more: Online activists are finding creative new ways to say Black Lives Matter. The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2020/06/12/tiktok-tinder-twitter-bts-black-lives-matter/

Bucknell Bossen, C., & Kottasz, R. (2020). Uses and gratifications sought by pre-adolescent and adolescent TikTok consumers. Young Consumers, 21 (4), 1747-3616. https://doi.org/10.1108/YC-07-2020-1186

Common Sense Media. (2019). New Survey Reveals Teens Get Their News from Social Media and YouTube. Common Sense Media. https://www.commonsensemedia.org/about-us/news/press-releases/new-survey-reveals-teens-get-their-news-from-social-media-and-youtube

DiMattio, M., & Hudacek, S. (2020). Educating generation Z: Psychosocial dimensions of the clinical learning environment that predict student satisfaction. Nurse Education in Practice 49, 1-1. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nepr.2020.102901

Dutot, V. (2020). A social identity perspective of social media’s impact on satisfaction with life. Psychology and Marketing, 37 (6), 1-1. https://doi.org/10.1002/mar.21333

Glaser, P., Liu, J., Hakim, M., Vilar, R., Zhang, R. (2018). Is Social Media Use for Networking Positive or Negative? Offline Social Capital and Internet Addiction as Mediators for the Relationship between Social Media Use and Mental Health. New Zealand Journal of Psychology, 47 (3), 12-18. https://www.proquest.com/docview/2166298518/30092AC0858F488DPQ/1?accountid=10382

Iqbal, M (2021). TikTok Revenue and Useage Statistics (2021). Business of Apps. https://www.businessofapps.com/data/tik-tok-statistics/

Janfaza, R. (2020, June 4). TikTok serves as hub for #blacklivesmatter activism. CNN Politics. https://edition.cnn.com/2020/06/04/politics/tik-tok-black-lives-matter/index.html

Liu, L., Du, R., Fan, W. (2016). How Members’ Commitment To An Online Knowledge Community Influences Their Usage Behaviour. Social Behaviour and Personality, 44 (4), 1-1. https://doi.org/10.2224/sbp.2016.44.4.693

Markman, K. (2011). A Networked Self: Identity, Community and Culture on Social Network Sites. New York: Routledge, 14 (7), 305-317. https://doi.org/10.1177/1461444812453432

Mohsin, M. (2021, February 16). 10 TikTok Statistics That You Need To Know in 2021. Oberlo. https://au.oberlo.com/blog/tiktok-statistics#:~:text=Here’s%20a%20summary%20of%20the,App%20Store%20and%20Google%20Play.

Muliadi, B (2020, July 7). What The Rise of TikTok Says About Gen Z. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2020/07/07/what-the-rise-of-tiktok-says-about-generation-z/?sh=6e797bcd6549

Orlowski, J. (Director). (2020). The Social Dilemma [Documentary]. Exposure Labs. https://www.netflix.com/watch/81254224?trackId=14170286&tctx=2%2C0%2C703df06d-c927-4d7b-8fba-9ed5bcf6bcb0-178606835%2Cbc6b7679-ede6-4e4e-8524-f846c5fb9ff1_147361262X3XX1617513238005%2C%2C

Pappas, V. (2020). A message to our Black community. TikTok. https://newsroom.tiktok.com/en-us/a-message-to-our-black-community

Rosenblatt, K. (2020, July 30). From the renegade to Black Lives Matter: How Black creators are changing TikTok culture. NBC News. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/nbcblk/renegade-black-lives-matter-how-black-creators-are-changing-tiktok-n1235255

Santander, P., Alfrao, R., Allende-Cid, H., Elórtegui, C., González, C. (2020). Analysing social media, analysing the social? A methodological discussion about the demoscopic and predictive potential of social media. Quality and Quantity; Dordecht, 54 (3), 1-1. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11135-020-00965-z

Saud, M., Mashud, M., Rachmah, I. (2020). Usage of social media during the pandemic: Seeking support and awareness about COVID‐19 through social media platforms. Journal of Public Affairs, 20 (4), 1-1. https://doi.org/10.1002/pa.2417

Tidy, J., & Smith Galer, S. (2020, August 5). TikTok: The story of a social media giant. BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-53640724

TikTok. (2021). Creator Fund. TikTok. https://www.tiktok.com/creators/creator-portal/en-us/getting-paid-to-create/creator-fund/

TikTok’s Music Team. (2020). Blackout Tuesday. TikTok. https://newsroom.tiktok.com/en-us/blackout-tuesday-theshowmustbepaused

Way, K. (2021, January 30). Here’s How Much Money Normal TikTok Users Really Make From the Creator Fund. Vice. https://www.vice.com/en/article/v7mqq4/how-much-does-tiktok-creator-fund-pay

22 thoughts on “TikTok: How the Social Media Giant Created a New Wave of Advocacy

  1. Hey Bonnie,

    As we have written on very similar topics, I can say that I agree with your argument and enjoyed reading your perception of TikToks popularity amongst Gen Z leading to a third place for advocacy on global issues. I appreciate how you explored the possible downside to using SNS, especially younger audiences. However like you said, the benefits of using social media for advocacy on global issues far outweigh the possibility of failure. If used correctly, the risks associated with SNS are very minimal and can be considered vital in bringing about social change and justice in contemporary society.

  2. Hi Bonnie!

    Firstly, this is a great and well researched paper! Captivating and heavily relevant to today’s society! Its interesting to see the the relevance and the prominence of the platform, Tik Tok for the gen Z community and specifically the platform being a source of current affairs and advocacy. I was able to agree with your argument due to the numerous evidence you had to back yourself, and also due to the experience I have had myself seeing Tik Tok’s advocating for certain things.

  3. Hi Bonnie!

    Finally found your paper and really enjoyed reading your insight on the social media giant; TikTok.

    Firstly, great use of statistics. Opening your discussion with these statistics made your argument very clear and opened my eyes as to how successful TikTok has become over the past 3 years. It also highlights how many users rely on this platform for not only entertainment purposes but also for social awareness, education, etc.

    You address that this platform is becoming more and more saturated by its users and suggest that this giant may soon replace in-person interactions – do you think that platforms such as TikTok will soon immerse itself in the young generation’s everyday life? And if so, whilst these definitely have upsides (as you mentioned), do you think that users sound also be aware of the downsides (e.g. mental health or privacy issues as addressed in The Social Dilemma)?

    Personally, I think that TikTok is a great avenue for children to potentially earn money and participate in social issues such as Blackout Day, however, I have also been exposed to media suggesting that if the backlash (e.g. unacceptable behaviours, dangers of other users and fake news) continues, they must be accommodated for. Users, especially younger generations, should be aware of what they are creating and the consequences on others. Although the platform allows users to exchange positive and informative information, the freedom given to the youngsters regarding speech and user-generated content have resulted in many concerning cases. A quick example of this is the #takeitoff that emerged in Manchester with teenage girls on livestreams being urged to take off their school tops by male users (Milne, 2019). This was soon put to a stop by authorities but it is a constant concern regarding safety on these platforms. Just something to consider.

    Overall, this paper was really well-written and created way for great debates. Your paper presented your perspective with fantastic insight and I can’t wait to hear from you on your additional thoughts.

    – Kira

    Milne, O. (2019, Febuary 24). The Tik Tok Shock. Sunday Mirror; London. https://www-proquest-com.dbgw.lis.curtin.edu.au/docview/2185154920/citation/674964A71E9A49E7PQ/11?accountid=10382

  4. It is arguable that Tiktok acts just like any other media has/does – it provides ‘soundbites’, quick, truncated, simplistic snapshots of news, debates, or ideas, that can easily be misconstrued, or are simply not nuanced enough to really get a proper message across.
    Isn’t that what Twitter does as well?

  5. Hi Bonnie,

    Congratulations on an excellent paper exploring the positive benefits of the TikTok platform. I have also focused on the TikTok platform for my paper, however I look at the way it’s unique affordances assist in the formation of online communities, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

    You mention in your paper that TikTok has “become the perfect third place for younger audiences to be educated on current events and issues occurring in the world”. While it is great to see so many young people engaging with global events through the TikTok platform, with so many people using TikTok as their main source of information on these events there is the potential for the spread of misinformation. As any one can create content on the platform, there is no guarantee that that content is accurate or factually correct. Even TikTok (2020) itself admits that it “isn’t the go-to app to follow news or politics” (para. 6).

    I was interested to read this article from Choi (2020) on Politico who states that “with an inundation of information, a penchant for picture-based platforms that can obfuscate nuance and an emotional media landscape rife with conflicting and dubious accounts, Gen Zers can and do fall into pitfalls with serious implications on their political outlook” (para. 8).

    Do you believe that the majority of the Gen Zers have the skills to be able to pick true information from misinformation on TikTok? Also, is TikTok doing enough to stop the spread of ‘fake news’?

    Cheers,

    Mads

    ____

    Choi, M. (2020, October 12). When Gen Z is the source of the misinformation it consumes. POLITICO. https://www.politico.com/news/2020/10/11/gen-z-misinformation-politics-news-conspiracy-423913

    Pappas, V. (2019, August 16). Combating misinformation and election interference on TikTok. TikTok. https://newsroom.tiktok.com/en-us/combating-misinformation-and-election-interference-on-tiktok

    1. Hi Madison,

      I really appreciate your feedback, it is nice to see someone discerning a similar topic, and thank you for the article, I have found it an interesting read!

      I found Choi’s comments on how Gen Z are “inundated with information in ways earlier generations never have been”. It can be difficult to distinguish what media is consumed leisurely as entertainment and what media is consumed in fact and reason. I think this comes from the significantly increasing role social media plays in the lives of young people. For example Facebook feeds, consist of friends posts as well as news articles and current events, it can be difficult to distinguish.

      I agree there is a lot of information out there that can not be confirmed nor denied, and the spreading of misinformation is a HUGE problem on social media as a whole, not just TikTok. I believe social media is a great tool when utilised correctly, but there are significant downsides. Anyone on social media can speak about any issue and spread information with no qualifications or research and it can be taken as bible by someone.

      As of right now I think social media is only just starting to become utilised as an information sharing, news style platform and therefore it is too early to tell the long term impacts of the spread of misinformation. So no, I do not think Gen Z, majority of, have the skills to discern fact from fiction or right from wrong, particularly because everything on social media can be faked, and anyone can pretend to be someone else.

      And I agree misinformation is a big issue and I do not think social media platforms do enough to filter it out. You could make a twitter account and put in your bio you are a qualified journalist and people would see that information as credible when in truth it is not.

      I believe the issues lies as a whole, not just TikTok, social media itself lacks authenticity and legitimacy and I see it the responsibility of these platforms to correct these issues before it gets out of hand.

      Thank you again for the articles and comments I really appreciate it!

  6. Hi Bonnie,
    I really enjoyed reading your paper. It was very insightful and well-researched and I agree with a lot of the arguments made.
    I agree with the quote “Generation Z is one of the most diverse generations yet, with high levels of education, digital nativism, social and cultural awareness and high propensity to be more expressive”. I think this has become true as a result of the resources we have available to us today, such as social media and platforms.
    What I found really interesting was the paragraph on how it has become a dream for teenagers to quit their jobs to pursue a job in content creating and influencing and this really resonated with me because I had the exact same thought as them.
    It’s amazing that TikTok has become a larger platform than just posting videos for entertainment purposes and that TikTok has started to transition itself into a platform that raises awareness on social issues such as the #BLM. This is extremely significant as the majority of users are young teenagers and this exposes them to the current events happening in our world today.

    1. Hi Saranya!

      Thank you for reading I appreciate it a lot!
      I too can resonate with the role social media plays in the lives of young people and how their career dreams may have shifted since these platforms came about.

      I agree it has become an extremely positive thing these platforms have the ability to be used as activism tools and Gen Z have become increasingly aware of issues occuring in the world, much more than previous generations have ever been at the same age.

      Thank you again for reading I appreciate it!

  7. Hi Bonnie,

    A great paper, and an enjoyable read.

    It’s interesting to hear that it’s become a “dream” among school-aged children to quit one’s day job and pursue content creation via social media as a career! As an “older” member of generation Z, I’m one of many who identifies with the experience of younger Millennials more so than generation Z. I wonder at what point the experiences of younger members of generation Z became so different that individuals who haven’t yet experienced full-time work felt it was a dream to be able to quit said job to pursue social media fame and influence? What prompted such differences between older and younger members of the same generation?

    I think it’s interesting that TikTok has become a platform for advocacy, such as the #BlackLivesMatter movement, to gain traction and prevalence. I’ve noticed many videos that originate on TikTok are reposted on other sites such as Facebook and Instagram, demonstrating the success the TikTok platform has in capturing the importance of an issue. Contrastingly, I have not seen (that I’m aware of) Instagram reels being shared to other platforms. However, some of these other sites have similar capabilities (such as Instagram Reels), which allow similar content to be generated. While I have a limited understanding of how a Reel or a TikTok is created, I would argue that this comes down to the type of content that garners attention on the TikTok platform as opposed to that of another site. Additionally, it could suggest that TikTok creates content for a more universal audience, whereas Instagram Reels could be aimed at a more niche audience. Drawing on your argument that many individuals seek social media fame on platforms like TikTok due to over-saturation on other sites, perhaps TikTok users have a better understanding of how to create content that reaches a wide audience? Alternatively, it could simply be put down to TikTok being less saturated, therefore making it easier to create content that stands out. What are your thoughts on this?

    Looking forward to hearing from you!

    Kind regards,
    Sierra

    1. Hi Sierra,
      Thank you for the feedback it is appreciated! I believe that dreams and desires of those on either end of the Gen Z age bracket vary so much due to the nature of their upbringing. In the context of time, social media is a relatively new concept that only the younger end of Gen Z experienced during their critical developmental years. It is due to this, I believe they have created an idealistic life on what they see their “idols” post on social media, thus wanting it for themselves. Everything on social media is glamourised beyond reality, and the regular 9 to 5 is no longer appealing to an entire generation due to social media allowing them to see a world beyond this. With regards to your question about the saturation of social media sites, I believe it to be a combination of both “popular” or “trending” content and less saturation. TikTok has become such an outlet space for teens to express themselves, and when this is presented to the main audience of TikTok, which is primarily Gen Z, the content is going to be well received regardless. There are rumours of ways to cheat the algorithm or certain hashtags that allow videos to be featured more than others, however, videos gain popularity from simply being watched. The relative nature of TikTok users allows content to be relatable to the lives of other users which is what draws people in. So yes, I do think TikTok is less saturated than other sites, but I believe that users of TikTok genuinely just enjoy each others content and therefore it gains popularity. A lot of it does come down to luck though, and those who have found fame through TikTok such as Charli D’amelio have admitted luck plays a significant role in this.

      Thank you again for your feedback!

      1. Hi Bonnie,

        These are all interesting points! I find it interesting that some users believe you can “cheat the algorithm” on TikTok. Does a user need to have a deep understanding of content creation and marketing to do this, or is it becoming a mainstream ability? If it’s more mainstream, does cheating the algorithm become the “new” algorithm?

        Is this something that can be done on other social media platforms? I think on platforms such as Instagram, there are certain ‘corners’ (so to speak) of targeted content, such as Bookstagram (for more information please see my paper about online book clubs here: https://networkconference.netstudies.org/2021/2021/04/26/readers-use-social-media-to-host-geographically-diverse-book-clubs/), and I understand there are similar areas of TikTok referred to as Booktok. Based on these niches, I disagree that TikTok users’ content gains popularity based on a uniform demographic, because if an individual is not interested in particular content (such as book reviews), they will not interact with that contact.

        I do, however, agree that luck likely plays a role! From the content I’ve seen from TikTok that is reshared on other platforms, it seems to be generic “trends” that doesn’t have a target audience. In this aspect, I can appreciate your point about users who “genuinely just enjoy each others content and therefore it gains popularity”, however, I don’t think this can be applied as a broader concept due to different interests and target audiences. Further, what do you think of content that is created for the sole purpose of going viral? Do you think it has the same heart and passion of content created with the intention of reaching a smaller, yet more engaged, audience?

        I look forward to hearing your thoughts!

        Kind regards,
        Sierra

        1. Hi Sierra,

          Apologies for only just getting back to you!

          I think their is only a half-truth to cheating the algorithm. Like you said if you cheat the algorithm is essentially creates a new algorithm and that puts the effectiveness of it in question.

          There are all kinds of ways on social media apps to find certain niches and audiences to present to. For example, following hashtags, following dedicated social media pages on a certain subject, or only engaging in the desired content.

          People post on social media for a variety of reasons however there are a significant number of people that like to gain “clout” and the sole purpose of their posts is to go viral and gain followers. I can understand their reasoning for this, the desire to gain popularity and create purpose, however I think it can take away from those genuinely trying to use social media for certain contents or purposes.

          I think that “clout content” is an inevitable part of social media and it is necessary in order for the cycle of social media, new personalities popping up, to keep going. However, I think it can seem quite in-genuine and isn’t what a lot of people are looking for, particularly those trying to engage in niche content and smaller circles of social media.

          1. Hi Bonnie,

            Thanks for getting back to me!

            The notion of “clout content” in itself seems borderline counterintuitive at times, which I find particularly interesting! Many users posting such content follow trends (such as those seen on TikTok), which may have an adverse impact on their attempts to stand out, in that following trends is, arguably, a form of blending in and following the status quo (Anderson, 2020). Similarly, many influencers have similar pages, featuring sponsored posts, selfies, all of which may be defined by a particular aesthetic or outlook. To that end, how would define “clout content”? Is it simply content that fits what is considered popular in the moment, or is it content that makes a user popular? It’s almost a chicken and egg scenario.

            It’s interesting, also, that you note clout content as necessary for the cycle of social media. The shift from trend to trend is often hard to keep up with if you’re not a frequent social media user, which could suggest it hinders the social media cycle somewhat. Outside of a user’s niche followed content (eg. reviews, social justice movements, health and fitness), trending content may appear confusing and disorientating. I myself find I struggle to keep up sometimes, and I access social media daily! Therefore, I’d like to ask what about clout content do you believe makes it vital to the social media cycle? Does the pace itself set a precedent for other areas of social media, rather than the content of the posts themselves?

            I look forward to hearing from you!

            Kind regards,
            Sierra

            Anderson, K. (2020). Getting acquainted with social networks and apps: it is time to talk about TikTok. Library Hi Tech News, 37(4), 7-12. https://doi.org/10.1108/LHTN-01-2020-0001

  8. Hi Bonnie

    Thank you for a well-researched and interesting paper. I enjoy reading about positive uses of social media as it gets such a bad image across a lot of media.

    I am the mother of two Generation Z teenagers who both use TikTok. They both have a wide range of interests from the environment, gaming, cooking, LGBTIQA+ advocacy, and of course funny dog videos.

    We now have a family WhatsApp group where we all share TikTok videos with each other.

    Neither of my girls watches TV. They get the bulk of their news from social media and mainly TikTok. But, both are quite actively interested in current affairs and social issues. I think they are far more aware of these types of things than I ever was at the same age. Yes, I went to school pre-internet!

    I am happy to encourage this but also to remind them not to believe everything they see online.

    Do you have any thoughts on ensuring how to ensure teens remain in the positive space of Tik Tok? I know there are some dark sides too.

    Best regards
    Michelle

    1. Hi Michelle,

      You are absolutely correct, you cannot believe everything you see on the internet, and with the randomised nature of TikTok is it very difficult to filter information from fact and fiction. TikTok typically showcases videos to a user on their “for you page” which is said to be customised to similar videos the user has engaged with before. It is near impossible to filter out the dark side of TikTok completely, however, constantly engaging with content of similar nature will most likely keep displaying itself. So to ensure you stay on the positive side of TikTok, it is best to only engage with the content (liking, sharing, commenting), you wish to keep seeing.

      Thank you for your feedback!

  9. Hi Bonnie!
    As someone who is Generation Z, I really like your quote from Muliadi, 2020. I feel like my generation cops a lot of negative criticism, so this was the first time I have seen it put in a more positive way.
    How you mention that Get Z doesn’t watch the news that much, I do agree. I watched it more when I was younger. But with saying that, when discussing news topics with my parents I have found that TikTok has in fact highlighted issues within the world that aren’t being broadcasted on the news.
    With the #blacklivesmatter movement I felt educated on the topic because of TikTok and perhaps without that platform having so many videos on it, I wouldn’t have known much. I think TikTok can be such a great thing at times to enlighten and educate, but I have also seen much hate, animal abuse and negative physical, mental and sexual abuse pointed mainly towards women. But sadly, as with any other platform, there are always these people who think think this is ok.

    1. Hi Alicia!

      I am in a very similar boat, I too am part of Gen Z and have found myself less and less engaged with mainstream media due to its lack of relevant and helpful information. The news typically doesn’t showcase these global issues that last significant periods of time. For example during the BLM movement, mainstream media covered it for about a week and then returned to regular coverage, however this movement went for many months. The news also fails to provide solutions. For example, TikTok showcases petition links and fundraisers to help, where as news outlets often do not provide this information. I also agree there can be a negative side to TikTok, and I believe social media platforms need to do more to filter out this content.

      Thanks for the feedback!

  10. Very informative read! It has been super interesting to see the prevalence of TikTok in daily life for young people, it is definitely a network that is entirely new and has many great future possibilities, especially in the way of activism and for the purpose of sharing information. It is interesting to watch something develop so quickly, even though Facebook, Twitter and Instagram are main stays in daily life now, their growth into a daily tool took many years and with how quickly it became as vital as traditional media, TikTok has similarly become just as vital in a much more rapid span of time.

    I think in the next coming years TikTok will be the focus of great research efforts into just how effective it can be as a platform, as we are already seeing the outcomes present themselves now. We are living in a time where young people, even people too young to legally vote, are so well informed on issues facing society now and shows great promise for future generations. I am interested to hear what you think of the idea of the “echo chamber” (Kasana, 2021) and the issues facing TikTok and its content filtration and organising for users based on their interests and beliefs. While I agree that the positives appear to outweigh the negatives currently, I am curious to see if this idea of an echo chamber will hinder TikTok as an activism platform when user content shown may have biases.

    I am excited to see the scholarly updates on TikTok as the platform matures and more research is done into it, I do truly believe that it is a unique and powerful network that will disrupt media forever. I enjoyed the paper and hope you have time to check out my paper on the relationship between influencers and fast fashion and its negative ecological impact on the world.
    https://networkconference.netstudies.org/2021/2021/04/27/instagram-influencers-and-their-complicated-relationship-with-fast-fashion-james-von-kelaita/?fbclid=IwAR3POGhbrmsfXWSmwcktg_tKBdIbR-9lxYyb1B2F9BWiEErwfRFxaBUXwhE

    1. Hi James,

      Thank you for the feedback! I agree completely, it has been fascinating to see the rapid rise of TikTok over the course of the last 2 years, particularly when it took other platforms such as Facebook and Instagram years to build the power and relevancy TikTok holds. Like you said, it is impacting the lives of young people significantly and whether or not these impacts will be positive or negative, time will tell as more research is done surrounding the platform and its role in the lives of users and its greater role as part of society.

      I am relatively new to the concept of the echo chamber and as I said before, I think it will become more apparent in the future whether the concept is for better or worse. However, I do agree that it will hinder with TikTok’s ability to be used as an advocacy platform as a whole. Typically, social media is used on an entertainment basis, not on an education basis, and if these platforms succeed in becoming helpful tools on activism, it has the potential to drive people away.

      100% filtering content to the interests of the user is a great way for the user to become more engaged in the platform however this comes at the risk of naivety to other spectrums of the platform, and can blind people into a certain belief or sector. I stand quite neutrally on the idea, and as a consumer myself I can see both the positive and negative sides of it. Overall, I am no social media expert but I think it is a great way to market the app however with these things there is always a risk involved.

      I too am intrigued to see where these platforms take scholarly research in the future, I think it will be incredibly insightful when it comes to learning the short and long term impacts these platforms will have and how it has impacted the lives of those who are using these apps during their critical developmental years.

      Thank you again for the feedback and discussions I appreciate it!

  11. Hi Bonnie!

    I really enjoyed reading through your paper! It appears to be very well researched and I love that you had a large range of different types of sources. It really made me solidly agree with the ideas you were presenting.

    I totally agree with your suggestion that TikTok has redefined modern advocacy, and last years BLM movement was definitely the movement which showed the exact magnitude its effect had. Without social media such as TikTok covering how the police were treating peaceful protesters in America and teaching the uneducated why the movement was needed, I believe the movement would have taken a lot longer to take off.

    I do have one question for you. TikTok is wonderful for advocacy because its algorithm suggests videos to users based on their interests – and those interested in the cause will receive more videos about it. Could the converse then also be true. Could people who were anti-BLM also find a third place on TikTok, or do you think that the experiences would not be the same?

    1. Hi Thomas!

      Thank you so much for your feedback I appreciate it. It is a fact of life and on social media not everyone is going to share the same opinions. This was evident across all platforms, not just TikTok, during the US elections in November last year. Even from Australia I was seeing videos of those with varying political opinions disagreeing across the app. You are 100% correct when you suggest there could be a third place created for those disapproving of the movement, I believe this to be inevitable. However, I don’t think the experience would be the same. A third place is to be seen as an interaction space between individuals, and whilst there are groups of people anti-BLM, their views are not for the greater good, and they don’t seem to be striving toward a common goal which creates community, therefore their videos have no attraction or greater meaning. So, yes I do think TikTok could be a third place for those with contrasting views however I do not sense it would be the same experience as those endorsing the BLM movement as it is not unionising.

      Thank you again for the feedback!

      1. Hi Bonnie!

        You’ve certainly given me a lot to think about. I never really thought about it in that way, but I do agree with what you’ve said. There has been a polarising community formed in movements such as BLM, and it simply wouldn’t be the same for those who are anti-BLM as they are coming from a very different place.

        Thanks!!

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