Attached to the Algorithm - An explorative study of young adults' user perspective on TikTok

Abstract

TikTok is currently the fastest growing digital platform in the world, and with more than 1 billion users it has the potential to influence people’s lives. On the platform’s For You page, content varying from trending dances to political messages are shared in a short-video format. What makes the platform special is the way an algorithm personalizes the content users watch. In this thesis, I explore how young adults reflect around and perceive themselves as users of TikTok.

Based on 8 qualitative interviews, I analyse users’ relation to TikTok through an attachment framework and look at how they are both addicted and influenced. With a comparative analysis, I look at how different personal characteristics are linked with attachment, critical reflections, and algorithm awareness. Based on this, there seems to be a correlation between screen time and attachment, and age and critical reflections. I apply these findings to contextualise TikTok as a medium and discuss how the personalization on the For You page potentially affects users and society. This thesis contributes to existing knowledge by offering a user perspective to the technological features on TikTok.