GAINING INSIGHTS ON TIKTOK'S APPEAL AND CAPABALITIES

 The paper explores TikTok's rise in popularity, particularly among young adults in the United Kingdom, through ethnographic research. TikTok, an app allowing short video creation, sharing, and consumption, gained traction rapidly, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study investigates how users formed habits around TikTok, focusing on its algorithmically personalized content feed, known as the For You Page. The paper is structured to discuss TikTok's appeal, interaction with its algorithm, and its role in fostering community engagement through content sharing and memes.

The literature review frames TikTok within the broader context of social media scholarship, emphasizing its affordances for both creativity and consumption. While TikTok encourages user participation and creativity, it also serves as an entertainment-focused platform. The paper examines how TikTok's algorithm shapes users' experiences, highlighting its role in constructing personalized feeds and influencing self-identity formation. The study draws parallels between TikTok's algorithm and audience engagement with other media platforms, emphasizing the active role users play in shaping their interactions with algorithms.

Methodologically, the study employs ethnographic audience research to understand TikTok's impact on

users' wider socio-cultural contexts. Fieldwork involved digital ethnography of TikTok and interviews with young adult users in the UK, exploring their routines, media habits, and perceptions of TikTok's meaningfulness. The research identifies TikTok as a "feel-good space" for users, contrasting its content consumption affordances with other social media platforms. Long-term observations reveal the formation and stabilization of TikTok use habits among participants.

Overall, the paper contributes to understanding TikTok's popularity and its impact on user behavior within the broader landscape of social media culture. It underscores the importance of considering the socio-cultural contexts in which media consumption occurs and emphasizes the active role users play in shaping their interactions with algorithmic systems like TikTok.

Reference: An Analysis of TikTok's Digital Marketing Capabilities and Its Effectiveness for Brands and Businesses Across Different Industries (lindenwood.edu)