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Background: TikTok has rapidly become one of the most extensively downloaded and used social media platforms worldwide. Our focus on emergency medicine (EM)-related content on TikTok is to identify what specific video characteristics result in higher degrees of audience engagement, defined in this study as a total of video likes, comments, and shares.Methods: Five second-year medical students using newly created TikTok accounts independently downloaded the first 100 videos to appear using the hashtag #emergencymedicine. The videos were reviewed for 52 variables. We performed a multiple linear regression analysis to examine the relationship between the variables and video engagement.Results: Of the examined videos, 45.8% (222/484) were produced by physicians (MD or DO). Approximately half, 50.0% (242/484), had an educational component, while 55.4% (268/484) of videos were judged to have an entertainment component. Preliminary findings indicate that among TikTok videos featuring #emergencymedicine, a statistically significant positive correlation exists between video engagement and the presence of a healthcare identifier, (ie, individuals wearing white coats or scrubs). No significant correlation was observed between video engagement and video creators’ self-identification as a healthcare professional, use of entertainment, or use of education. A notable negative correlation was identified between video engagement and the inclusion of music.Conclusion: We identified qualities associated with negative and positive correlation with video engagement. For the 100 videos, only healthcare attire, such as wearing a white coat or scrubs, showed a significant positive correlation with engagement, while those with background music showed a negative correlation. Our study offers insight into how EM professionals can effectively use characteristics associated with higher engagement rates to relay information to a wider audience on TikTok.

Tik Tok is an emerging social media platform that provides a novel opportunity for health practitioners such as dermatologists to disseminate accurate health information.

Background: To date, over 1.3 billion videos with the hashtag #bodyneutrality have been viewed on TikTok. Despite this, little existing literature has unpacked how body neutrality is conceptualised on TikTok. We examined how TikTok creators construct meaning and generate discourse surrounding #bodyneutrality. Methods: Extending on previous works in the body neutrality space, we conducted a hybrid content/thematic analysis of TikTok videos in three different languages (English, Spanish, and Italian). Initially, 300 videos displaying "#bodyneutrality" were identified on TikTok. The first 178 TikTok videos were analysed, following the principles of data saturation and feasibility. Results: We developed three themes: (1) The normalisation of diverse bodies, (2) The rejection of appearance as fundamentally important, and (3) Body neutrality is (better than) body positivity. Conclusions: In line with conceptualisations of body neutrality in existing literature, some content emphasised the importance of devaluing physical appearance. Building on existing definitions, most creators also framed body neutrality as speaking to the fundamental humanness of owning a body and attempted to normalise various body shapes/sizes. Conversely, some content employed #bodyneutrality to promote or examine body positivity principles or to condemn appearance-based stigmatisation. Our study is one of the first to examine how body neutrality is understood and employed by people in the real world. Plain English summary: Content promoting body neutrality, often shared with #bodyneutrality, has recently become more popular on social media, especially on the widely-used platform TikTok. Consequently, the current study aimed to examine how body neutrality is represented and discussed on TikTok. After conducting a hybrid content/thematic analysis of 178 TikTok videos in English, Spanish, and Italian, we identified three main themes to describe body neutrality: (1) The normalisation of diverse bodies, (2) The rejection of appearance as fundamentally important, and (3) Body neutrality is (better than) body positivity. In the analysed videos, body neutrality content depicted the experience of having a body as fundamentally normal, natural, and human. Moreover, many videos deemphasized the importance placed on beauty in favour of individual characteristics (e.g., hobbies). Finally, some videos compared body neutrality with body positivity, highlighting similarities and differences between the two. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social, cultural, and political (SCP) symbols in campaigns play vital roles in connecting emotionally with people, representing identity, simplifying complex issues, and reinforcing political ideologies. This study investigates the impact of SCP symbol content on engagement, emotional responses, and trust in electoral process in TikTok-based anti-disinformation campaigns during Taiwanese 2024 general elections. Utilizing advanced natural language processing and machine learning, we analyzed posts and comments, categorizing them for presence and type of SCP symbols. We employed a multi-faceted approach, examining engagement metrics, emotional responses, and trust evaluations across different symbol categories. Our novel categorization ranged from content without symbols to those incorporating multiple symbol types, providing nuanced understanding of symbolic influence. Findings reveal a strong positive correlation between the complexity of symbolic content and user engagement, with cultural symbols emerging as potent in driving interaction and fostering trust. Emotional analysis showed symbol-rich content elicited more positive emotional responses, especially with cultural symbols. Trust evaluations showed increases in symbol diversity increased trust, with cultural and political symbols generating the highest trust levels towards Taiwan's democratic and electoral process. Statistical validation through non-parametric tests confirmed that the observed effects were not artifacts of data distribution or follower count variations. Our findings have significant implications for public affairs, strategic communications, policymakers, and platform managers, providing a framework for crafting more effective, culturally resonant content in digital socio-political campaigns. This study also opens avenues for further research into the long-term effects of symbolic communication on political behavior and democratic participation in the digital age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of study is to identify the correlation between watching Filipino trending TikTok outfit ideas to the aspects of body image and its lifestyle influence, particularly among young adults in Bacoor, Cavite. Body image refers to a person's interpretation of their physical image and emotions and feelings. The said aspects are perceptual, affective, and cognitive. To ensure the anonymity of respondents regarding personal information, we provide consent forms to the young adult participants in Bacoor, Cavite. All respondents who are TikTok users were chosen using random sampling to achieve the desired findings. Pearson's R correlation was used to determine the statistics and the correlation in the study. With regards with the demographics, there is no significant difference between males and females when it comes to body image. Results showed that affective body image is significantly correlated with perceptual and cognitive body image. Perceptual body image is significantly correlated with cognitive body image. Lastly, affective, perceptual, and cognitive body image is correlated with the influence of TikTok. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past decade, social networking platforms have become an important communication channel for protesters in autocratic countries. In August 2020 and January 2021, the messaging application Telegram and social media platform Tik-Tok became platforms for protest mobilization and coordination in Belarus and Russia respectively. This article applies previous research within social movements and democratization studies about the use of Facebook and Twitter to instigate and galvanize protests in autocratic countries in order to explore how protest mobilization on newly politicized platforms such as Telegram and TikTok is manifested. For this purpose, we conducted a qualitative content analysis of 1,128 protest-related publications (posts) on Telegram's channel NextaLive and 100 videos on TikTok. The conclusion provides an extended framework for analyzing political mobilization online and argues that social networking platforms can themselves be considered spaces that are commensurate with those of offline protest and not merely tools to stimulate democratic participation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines, from a psychological perspective, why some young people may diagnose themselves with a mental health condition or neurodevelopmental difference after engaging with TikTok content. The article joins the discourse around TikTok self-diagnosis among adolescents, which has circulated since 2022, and offers alternative considerations and perspectives. The reasons a young person may self-diagnose are complicated and multifaceted, extending beyond any explanation of naivety or attention-seeking. In this paper the phenomenon is approached through an application of social psychological theories relating to identity, belonging, and self-labelling. The broader context is considered against the backdrop of the neurodiversity movement and corresponding cultural shift, with reference to the intersecting systemic barriers faced by young people which impede the availability and accessibility of adequate support. Opportunities for future research and suggestions for how educational psychologists may consider online environments within professional practice are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital communication technologies transform social relationships by networking strangers into mediated intimate publics. Guided by the question of what happens when displays of public intimacy go viral, I analyze communicative methods within intimate publics on TikTok through an exploratory, qualitative case study of the viral "couch guy" meme. Results indicate that users on TikTok participate in intimate publics through the uploading of original content, duplication and replication of content, commenting, and lurking. Utilizing sensemaking as an analytic, first, I demonstrate how TikTok's platform affordances transform displays of public intimacy into public extimacy, transforming TikTok into a space where social scripts and relationship expectations are negotiated. Second, I offer a preliminary organizational structure of communicative actions within the "couch guy" public on TikTok. Overall, this article concludes that participation in mediated publics has the potential to influence interpersonal relationships offline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the role of social media in public health through a case of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning prevented and subsequently overlooked, as influenced by digital community interaction. A TikTok influencer shared an experience with a coal stove, leading to followers advising against its use due to CO poisoning risks. This advice was heeded, yet a family member, unaware of these risks, experienced CO poisoning. This incident illuminates social media's potential in disseminating life-saving health information and influencing behavior, forming the basis of "Media Epidemiology." This new field studies how digital communication impacts health-related behaviors and outcomes. Our analysis highlights social media as a tool for rapid health information dissemination and preventive action. It underscores the need for integrating digital platform dynamics into public health strategies, emphasizing education on hazards like CO poisoning. This study advocates for leveraging social media in public health, exemplifying its role in disease prevention and health promotion, and marking a significant stride in contemporary epidemiological research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Punk is a subcultural community and lifestyle whose dress and aesthetics have been incorporated into the mainstream fashion industry and popularized beyond self-identified punks. However, punk styles maintain their anti-hegemonic design symbolism and still act as cues for punks. 'PunkTok' formed as the result of individuals using the social media platform TikTok as a self-presentation and communication vehicle to showcase the complexities of their punk identity. With the application of general themes from Goffman's dramaturgical analysis, this research aims to understand how dress and TikTok technical capabilities are used to communicate personal identity, community identity and authenticity in the US punk community on TikTok. The findings reveal that contextual information, such as hashtags, and the demonstration of knowledge and experience are integral to identifying and authenticating PunkTok dress and identity. Intersectionality revealed itself to be a key theme in the research and impacted the choices made by the PunkTokers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Growing awareness of the ubiquity of algorithms online has established a new discursive space for making sense of their role in individuals' lives and society writ large. Within this space, social media users have come to think of algorithms as uniquely powerful forces shaping everyday experiences. This article explores how people make sense of algorithms, as seen through (dis)belief in algorithmic conspirituality, where users ascribe divine significance to algorithmic curation on TikTok. We ask: how do users understand algorithmic conspirituality, and under what circumstances do they believe (or not) in the mystical power of algorithms? Drawing on focus groups and interviews with TikTok users (n = 25), we observed what we call reflexive ambivalence. This refers to a reflexive process in which participants examined their cognitive and affective responses to algorithmic conspirituality videos to untangle seemingly contradictory logical and mystical mentalities. With this insight, we complicate past work by demonstrating the co-occurrence and interdependency of rational, technical vs. affective, socially situated ways of knowing algorithms. We additionally highlight conditions under which belief in algorithmic conspirituality gained plausibility for our participants and how they rationalized the phenomenon as grounded in the worldly realm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Latinx comics creators publish on social media to connect with a global audience and perform digital self-mediation that enhances the self-reflexive themes in their work. Among these creators is Chicana artist, Daisy Ruiz, known as Draizys, whose auto-bio comic Gordita: Built Like This showcases this approach. Its narrative contents, publication trajectory, and digital promotion exemplify how Ruiz as protagonist and author uses digital tools to produce and share her creative work. Her depictions of adolescent internet use, along with the behind-the-scenes content she posts to Instagram and TikTok, underscore how she uses medium-specific affordances to produce sequential autobiographical narratives in her comics and social media posts that, in both content and form, nuance how Latinas are mediated to the public. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The expansion of social media and networking has been remarkable. Since its inception in 1995 with Classmates.com, the landscape evolved to include Friendster in 2002, LinkedIn and MySpace in 2003, and Facebook in 2004. Today, social networking is a global phenomenon, with Facebook boasting nearly 2.95 billion active users worldwide (Statista, 2023a). The number of significant social media platforms has also increased, with the top sites in the United States accounting for most of the activity. This study explores a 2021 Pew Internet dataset through Two-Step Cluster Analysis to identify Social Networking User Groups. By combining usage data from top social media websites with pertinent demographic and sociographic information, we establish two distinct user clusters for social media in the US as of 2021. The implications for marketers, researchers, and society at large are also considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research question: Given the worldwide growth of women's football and its presence on social media, it is essential to explore and understand fan attitudes and culture. Research methods: This article provides the first empirical social media netnography focusing on English women's football teams (Manchester United and Burnley) and international fan views towards women professional players on TikTok. We extend this discussion by utilising a netnography in which researchers immersed themselves for seven months in women's football groups on TikTok to gather and analyse new qualitative data in this context. Results and Findings: We identify the escalation of gender-based violence on social media against women players. Four key themes emerged from the netnography: 1. Sexism: the place of women in football; 2. Misogyny and hatred of women; 3. Sexualisation of women; 4. Demand for a male-only space. Sexist comments were apparent in all of the TikTok posts containing female football players, with some also containing more aggressive misogynistic comments. Other dominant comments sought to reduce women to objects of sexual desire and belittle their professional skills, whereas others were appalled at the presence of female players on the clubs' official accounts, demanding them to be a male-only space. Implications: The study contributes to the understanding of online fan cultures on complex, video-based platforms such as TikTok. Through literature review and netnography, we identified a problem for football clubs on social media of longstanding, problematic issues of toxic fan comments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During worldwide epidemic of COVID-1, people started to depend on social media apps to cure their boredom. It was beneficial to provide information easily to a wide audience. The increased time people spent on their phones led to many, including teenagers and children, becoming addicted to social media, particularly TikTok. As a result, this usage of TikTok became an epidemic itself. Therefore, in this work, a fractional mathematical model is being developed to analyze the influence of TikTok on human population of different ages. In this paper, two equilibrium points for this model will be discussed and the theoretical stability will be proven. For numerical analysis, fractional Euler’s method will be used and the results will be discussed graphically and which group of population will be affected the most by frequent use of TikTok. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aimed to assess the validity and informational value of the material provided on TikTok regarding frozen shoulders. The hypothesis was that the video content on this platform would not provide adequate and valid information. Methods: The current study focused on frozen shoulder videos on the TikTok social media platform. The terms "frozen shoulder" and/or "adhesive capsulitis" were used as keywords for an extensive online search of video content on TikTok, and the first 100 videos were included. Out-of-topic, non-English, and duplicated videos were excluded from the analysis. The duration and numbers of likes, shares, and views were recorded for each video. Further, videos were categorized based on the source (physiotherapist/osteopath, medical doctor, or private user), type of information (physical therapy, etiopathogenesis, anatomy, clinical examination, patient experience, or symptoms), video content (rehabilitation, education, or patient experience/testimony), and the presence of music or a voice. The assessment of the video content's quality and reliability was performed by two experienced shoulder surgeons using the DISCERN instrument, the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) benchmark criteria, and the Global Quality Score (GQS). Results: A total of 100 videos were included in the analysis, of which 86 (86.0%) were published by physiotherapists/osteopaths. Most of the information and video content focused on physical therapy and rehabilitation (83.0% and 84.0%, respectively). Eighty-four (84.0%) videos included voice comments, while the remaining featured music. The mean number of views was 2,142,215.32 ± 6,148,794.63, while the mean numbers of likes, comments, and shares were 58,438.67 ± 201,863.54, 550.81 ± 1712.22, and 3327.43 ± 7320.81, respectively. The mean video duration was 110.20 ± 116.43 s. The mean DISCERN score, JAMA score, and GQS were 16.17 ± 2.36, 0.61 ± 0.51, and 1.18 ± 0.41, respectively. Videos posted by medical doctors or private users received higher scores than those posted by physiotherapists/osteopaths (p < 0.05). Conclusions: The educational value of videos published on TikTok was poor; videos posted by medical doctors exhibited better quality and educational value than those of physiotherapists or osteopaths. It is the responsibility of orthopedic surgeons to investigate the potential benefits, consequences, and implications of TikTok video content for the health of frozen shoulder patients and to propose necessary adjustments. Given the rapid growth of TikTok, further research is needed. Level of evidence: Level IV—cross-sectional study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Social media has become a central part of everyday life, providing spaces for communication, self-expression, and social mobilization. TikTok, specifically, has emerged as a prominent platform for marginalized groups, providing opportunities for activism and representation. However, research falls short in examining the specific role of TikTok for Muslim women in Germany who face intersecting forms of marginalization. This shortcoming reflects a broader lack of research on the experiences of marginalized groups within TikTok's logics and affordances, and what functions the platform fulfills for these communities. Against this backdrop, this study examines TikTok's role as a platform for Muslim female content creators in Germany and its broader implications for marginalized communities. Our research is guided by the following questions: (a) What are the main themes and topics that are being brought forward by Muslim women content creators on TikTok? (b) What technical affordances do they use to communicate their content? (c) What functions does TikTok fulfill for Muslim women as an intersectionally marginalized group?. Methods: We analyze 320 videos from 32 public TikTok accounts identified through snowball sampling. Data collection includes automated web scraping, manual transcription, and qualitative coding. This allows us to identify main topics, video formats, and content types to answer our research questions. Results: Our findings show that Muslim women produce diverse content on TikTok, ranging from beauty and lifestyle to religious education and social justice. They shape the platform's functionalities through creative use, while TikTok's algorithm and virality logic drive creators to blend entertainment with personal content. The hijab emerges as a unique issue, framed within both political and fashion discourses. Overall, TikTok functions as a "third space" where Muslim women challenge mainstream stereotypes and offer alternative interpretations of their identity. While TikTok provides empowerment and visibility, it also exposes Muslim women to hate speech and harassment. The platform provides tools to counter these issues, but the underlying social hierarchies often limit their visibility, making TikTok both a site of empowerment and vulnerability. Discussion: This study highlights the need for further research into the role of social media for marginalized groups, particularly across platforms, gender, and religion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research investigates the inspiration of self-concept and Information Technology (IT) identity on the behavior of Social Media Influencers (SMI), specifically regarding their utilization of technology features. With the advent of social media, individuals have been presented with a unique opportunity to showcase their creativity and connect with a broader audience, known as "followers." Drawing upon the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT), this study examines the relationship between SMIs behavior in utilizing technology features, self-concept, and IT identity within the context of social media platform usage. The research methodology employed in this study is partial least squares (PLS) regression, providing a comprehensive understanding of how individuals' self-concept shapes their IT identity concerning the usage of social media platform features. The findings of this study have significant implications for businesses seeking to engage with SMIs and individuals aiming to establish their presence on social media. The research highlights TikTok's potential as a platform for self-expression and personal brand development, underscoring the importance of self-concept and IT identity in the realm of SMIs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Background/Objectives: Individuals are turning increasingly towards online resources, such as TikTok, to educate themselves on their medical conditions. Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a prominent example, as women report dissatisfaction with the diagnosis process and treatment options. This study aims to provide a content analysis of the quality of PCOS health information on TikTok. Methods: A total of 325 TikTok videos were screened. Pertinent data, including likes, comments, shares, and views, along with video content concerning symptoms, interventions, and provider interactions were analyzed. Two reviewers independently used a modified DISCERN criteria to assess the quality of information for each video. A logistic regression was also utilized to model the probability of healthcare professionals creating educational videos. Results: A total of 238 videos met the eligibility criteria for analysis. Videos had a median of 468,400 views (Q1 = 146,400, Q3 = 1,100,000) and 18,000 likes (Q1 = 5631, Q3 = 65,100). The mean modified DISCERN scores were 3.6 ± 0.9 for physicians (n = 23), 2.0 ± 1.1 for non-physician healthcare providers (n = 52), and 1.0 ± 0.2 for non-healthcare professionals (n = 141) (p < 0.001). Healthcare professionals were 10.9 times more likely to create educational videos in comparison to non-healthcare professionals (p < 0.001). Conclusions: TikTok videos related to PCOS attract considerable engagement but provide low-quality information. Most videos were made by non-healthcare professionals, who discussed treatment options with limited or no research. Healthcare providers should be aware of the impacts on patients' preconceived notions and help to improve patient education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Following the surge in global consumption of Nigerian music and film, non-African content creators are now part of the emerging group of people participating in the production and circulation of African, specifically Nigerian, popular culture on social media. This article provides a scholarly interrogation of these emerging “transracial” online enactments, with a particular focus on these performers’ use of lip-syncing to audio texts originally created by Nigerian artists. We examine the performances of three Oyibos (light-skinned foreigners) who create short videos on TikTok, arguing that through lip-syncing, each of them becomes part of networked publics built around Nigerian content and facilitated by the social media application TikTok. The article takes an audience-centred approach. Through focus group interviews with potential audiences in Nigeria, we seek to understand the meanings that Nigerian viewers (and potential members of these networked publics) derive from such clips and the transgressive play with difference that they entail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent years have marked a shift in selling and buying illicit psychoactive drugs from darknet cryptomarkets to publicly accessible social media and messaging platforms. As more users turn to procuring drugs this way, the role of digital harm reduction has become particularly urgent. However, one of the main obstacles complicating the implementation of digital harm reduction is the increasingly automated content moderation by the social media platforms. While some platforms are less restrictive about harm reduction content (e.g., TikTok), others implement higher degrees of moderation, including the removal of individual content and banning of entire profile pages (e.g., Instagram). This article discusses community guidelines of five popular social media and messaging platforms and their content moderation tools. It aims to highlight how these guidelines may be inadvertently curbing the dissemination of harm reduction and health promotion materials, and erroneously interpreting it as a promotion of drug use and sales. The discussion concludes that digital harm reduction requires transdisciplinary collaboration of professional organizations, researchers, and social media platforms to ensure reliable implementation of digital harm reduction, and help build safer digital communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Smartphones and social media have become an integral part of human daily life and they influence mental well-being. These accounts have been researched in the general population, but not in athletes. This is critical given enhanced physical and emotional stressors in athletes versus non-athletes. Therefore, we here studied intra- and interindividual relationships of four social media sites (WhatsApp, TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat) with mood, stress, recovery, and sleep using log-based media usage tracking as an objective measure in 53 competitive athletes aged 12–27 years. Multilevel modeling revealed that intraindividual TikTok usage negatively predicted sleep (β = −0.10, p = 0.040) and recovery (β = −0.15, p < 0.002), and positively predicted stress (β = 0.12, p = 0.018). Interindividual Instagram usage predicted feelings of calmness (β = 0.27, p = 0.029) and valence (β = 0.20, p = 0.043). Intriguingly, competition level moderated the usage outcomes of all four apps: Athletes on low performance levels showed lower mental well-being when using social media longer, yet in national and international athletes the strength of these relationships was weaker or even reversed. Our study unravels social media usage associations with mental well-being to vary as a function of performance level and provides findings on intra- and interindividual effects of critical importance to inform future population-tailored and expedient interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sexual violence is a public health threat in the USA and past research has found that survivors who seek support and disclose their experiences tend to have greater positive outcomes, such as positive life changes, reduced post-traumatic stress disorder, and fewer depressive symptoms. While social media have become an important site of disclosure, over-moderation of sex and sexuality on social media platforms due to the passing of the Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act and the Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act may inadvertently lead to the removal of survivors' posts and hinder their ability to build communities of support. In line with critical discourse analysis, this study examined the discursive strategies utilized in online disclosures made by sexual violence survivors on the social media platform TikTok to determine if they make use of algospeak, a neologism referring to the strategy of misspelling words or using coded language to avoid detection and deletion by site moderators. Analysis of the data indicated that sexual violence survivors do make use of algospeak, as well as direct and indirect language, to share their disclosures, and that, while TikTok claims to provide space for survivors' stories, its guidelines and approach to language about sex and sexuality may create barriers to building supportive communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine how different types of user experience in TikTok impact purchase intention via commitment to the influencer and commitment to the platform, with customer type included to determine moderating effects. Three types of user experience are considered: information experience, entertainment experience and parasocial-relationship-based experience. Design/methodology/approach: This study collected 458 valid questionnaires from TikTok users, employing the structural equation modeling approach to examine the proposed research model. Findings: Information experience, entertainment experience and parasocial-relationship-based experience are found to critically stimulate user commitment to the influencer and commitment to the platform, in turn driving TikTok-based purchase intention. Tests incorporating customer type reveal that commitment to the influencer more strongly influences the purchase intention of repeat customers, with commitment to the platform more likely to stimulate purchase intention among potential customers. Research limitations/implications: On a theoretical level, the paper is among the first to examine TikTok-based user purchase intention with customer type as a moderator. On a practical level, the results can guide marketers to effectively promote products using TikTok and inspire TikTok managers to develop customized strategies to stimulate initial and repeat sales. Originality/value: TikTok is moving to the stage of commercialization and monetization by introducing e-commerce features. Although this move should cultivate particularly fertile ground for companies to sell products, TikTok user purchase behavior has yet to receive sufficient research attention, with little currently known about their purchase motivations. The current study uncovers the significant antecedents of users' purchase intention through TikTok, and further reveals the motivational differences among potential and repeat customers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The scientific literature reports on how social media potentially influences eating disorders, although there is a large gap in the specific case of TikToks influence of adolescent's recovery from anorexia nervosa (AN). Our study uses in‐depth interviews with female adolescents primarily suffering from AN to explore how they perceive the social media platform TikTok in relation to their recovery. Method: A total of 14 interviews with female adolescents recovering from AN were conducted and analyzed with reflexive thematic analysis. Results: We developed four distinct main themes: social connectivity, algorithmic engagement, regulation and adaptation, and personal agency and recovery pathways. Our findings indicate both potential benefits and harm by TikTok use when in recovery from AN, depending on a complex interplay of individual and contextual factors. Discussion: The study adds nuance to the on‐going scientific debate on the role that TikTok plays in recovery from AN in general from the perspective provided by female adolescents. Suggestions are made for clinical implications at adolescent AN outpatient care including parental or professional support in TikTok adaptations and advice on how to discern when use may be triggering or supportive. Future research would benefit from longitudinal designs and inclusion of how individual differences, such as gender and personality, influence the effects on recovery and TikTok use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Schizophrenia is a common and serious heterogeneous mental disorder that has a significant health and economic impact on families and society. As the prevalence of schizophrenia increases each year, public awareness of the disorder is growing. However, it remains unclear whether the quality of information presented in these videos is satisfactory. Therefore, a comprehensive assessment of the quality and content of schizophrenia-related videos on video-sharing platforms is necessary. We screened 123 schizophrenia-related videos from the video-sharing platform TikTok that met the criteria, and evaluated and analyzed them. First, the basic information provided in the videos was recorded and analyzed. The source and content type of each video was then determined. The educational content and quality of all videos were then evaluated using three rating instruments, Modified DISCERN, Global Quality Scale, and Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). Videos from different sources were also compared to see if they were statistically different in terms of educational content and quality. We identified 4 categories of content for the videos. The science introduction category had the largest number of 50, and the least number of videos was etiology and causation at 15. Six categories of sources of videos were also identified: the for-profit organizations category has the lowest number of 10, the health professionals category has the highest number of 45. There was a significant correlation between video source and duration (P = 0.014). The JAMA score was significantly positively correlated with the number of video likes (r = 0.721, P < 0.001). This study evaluated the content and information quality of 123 videos related to schizophrenia on the video-sharing platform TikTok. The findings indicate that while these videos offer some valuable insights into schizophrenia, the overall quality falls short of satisfactory levels, with inadequate reliability and accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China's Great Firewall was designed to control information flows to keep citizens in and the wider world out. Consequently, until recently China's economic ascendancy was not mirrored in the global digital economy. However, China's increasing digital footprint and championing of national technology firms present numerous economic and security challenges for the EU and US as the dominant digital powers. This paper investigates how growing perceptions of China-based threats in the digital domain have shaped EU (including Member State-level) and US policies. Two pertinent cases – Huawei (hardware provider) and TikTok (digital platform) – illustrate how threat perceptions have catalysed securitization moves to restrict Chinese firms' roles within national digital economies. Western policymakers are increasingly concerned about China's capacity to weaponize technologically interdependent relationships by exploiting its firms' presence within Western networks. Yet significant differences between EU Member States' perceptions precluded both a uniform EU-level response and more extensive transatlantic cooperation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As sites where social media corporations profess their commitment to principles like community and free speech, policy documents function as boundary objects that navigate diverse audiences, purposes, and interests. This article compares the discourse of values in the Privacy Policies, Terms of Service, and Community Guidelines of five major platforms (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, and TikTok). Through a mixed-methods analysis, we identified frequently mentioned value terms and five overarching principles consistent across platforms: expression, community, safety, choice, and improvement. However, platforms limit their burden to execute these values by selectively assigning responsibility for their enactment, often unloading such responsibility onto users. Moreover, while each of the core values may potentially serve the public good, they can also promote narrow corporate goals. This dual framing allows platforms to strategically reinterpret values to suit their own interests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examined TikTok user engagement when parents post videos engaging in psychological maltreatment (PM) behaviors towards their children, using the APSAC-endorsed definition of PM. A new TikTok account was created and seeded with PM behavior videos identified previously; similar videos then appeared on the new account's "For You Page" (an algorithmic feed curated by TikTok). Researchers identified 35 creators who had posted at least one PM behavior video, resulting in their full profile being coded (N = 2684 videos) for five engagement metrics, presence of children, and presence of PM behavior. Non-parametric paired comparisons (Mann-Whitney tests) were made within individual creators for: (1) engagement metrics before and after the first PM behavior video, (2) engagement metrics for PM behavior videos versus non-PM videos, (3) engagement metrics for child videos versus non-child videos, and (4) proportion of videos containing children before and after the first PM video. All but one analysis was significant (effect sizes from.28 to.59, average r =.46). We discuss directions for future research, as well as how child welfare and content moderation policy can be updated to change social norms around sharenting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The advent of social media has transformed society in terms of the way information is created and disseminated. In professional and private spheres such as events, social media has evolved to be more than a tool for user-generated content but is also now a heavily adopted technological platform to create competitive advantage. This curated collection examines 21 articles published in Event Management from 2015 to 2022 and identifies the trends, concepts, contexts, and outcomes of social media in events to provide a snapshot of literature to date and what future directions of social media and event research would look like. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Importance: Social media platforms are increasingly utilized to distribute medical information. Our study emphasizes the need for accuracy in pelvic health education on social media and the involvement of female pelvic floor (FPF) specialists in content creation. Aims: In this cross‐sectional study, we assessed the FPF TikTok videos with the highest engagement for quality of information and misinformation and investigated the relationship between misinformation and user engagement. Methods: We collected all TikTok videos on the US app with hashtags related to FPF conditions, including 76 on pelvic organ prolapse, 323 on urinary tract infection, 84 on overactive bladder, and 972 on incontinence. The top 20 videos for each FPF condition were selected based on highest engagement, and 74 videos total met inclusion criteria. TikTok videos were scored with the validated DISCERN instrument for quality of consumer health information and a 5‐point Likert scale for misinformation. The correlation between misinformation and user engagement was assessed. Results: Our analysis revealed positive correlations among higher average misinformation scores and shares (r = 0.37, p < 0.001), likes (r = 0.23, p = 0.004), and overall engagement (r = 0.25, p = 0.002) in FPF TikTok videos as a group, likely driven by the #UTI category. Most TikTok videos (96%) had poor quality of information (DISCERN score < 3), and 18% of TikTok videos contained misinformation. Conclusion: The poor quality and prevalence of misinformation in FPF‐related TikTok videos with the highest engagement raise concerns about the propagation of nonevidence‐based health information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research examines how sponsored user‐generated content influences consumer engagement on TikTok across three studies. In the first study, we demonstrate that when content creators endorse brands through sponsorship, they are perceived as less authentic. This perceived lack of authenticity, in turn, reduces consumer engagement with brands. In the second study, we show that the influence of sponsorship on consumer engagement is moderated by the content creator's popularity, as reflected by their follower count. Specifically, the negative effect of sponsorship on consumer engagement is observed only among popular creators with large followings, while less popular creators do not experience the same negative impact. In the third study, we show that for popular creators, sponsorship can enhance consumer engagement when the endorsed brand is perceived as small, compared to when it is perceived as large. Together, these findings extend our theoretical understanding of how sponsored user‐generated content shapes consumer engagement on TikTok. Additionally, our research provides valuable insights for brand managers aiming to develop effective digital marketing strategies and for content creators looking to optimize engagement with their audience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study adopts a multimodal approach to critical discourse analysis to unpack the discourses embedded in the performance of hyper-feminine bimbo identities on TikTok. Guided by a social semiotic approach to language, this study analyses a corpus of 16 short-form videos published by self-proclaimed 'bimbos' on TikTok, focusing on the lexical and iconographical choices of these texts and how they function contextually to signal broader discourses. This analysis reveals that TikTok influencers frequently reinforce hegemonic norms of gender by incorporating bodily signifiers of patriarchal Eurocentric ideals of femininity and linking signifiers of overconsumption and hyper-femininity in their performance of a bimbo identity. Simultaneously, they contest these hegemonic norms by juxtaposing hyper-feminine images with critiques of patriarchal, Eurocentric, and capitalist structures of inequality. Ultimately, the subversive potential of these representations is ambivalent; there is a marked tension between their stated aims of inclusion and empowerment and the intersection of hyper-femininity with privilege. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social media has provided everyday actors with a platform to share their personal stories and ideas. This has had a profound effect on activism, as movements are increasingly built up and amplified through the circulation of participants’ individualized motivations, experiences, and sentiments. TikTok has emerged as a salient site for studying this turn: it has proven to be a highly successful tool in activist campaigns, strongly affords personalized communication, and supports a main user base of young people known for emphasizing self-expression in their online participation. Since remix is the core form of sharing on TikTok, users are encouraged to insert and articulate themselves not only in the process of content creation, but in the process of circulation as well. Here, we focus on the way remix is exploited as a mode of personalizing activist content on TikTok, particularly among young users. We do so by qualitatively coding and analyzing remixed content associated with the digital activist organization Gen-Z for Change. We find that, despite expectations based on prior research and the observed behavior of older users, young users tended to resist personalization in their remix strategies. Yet, they simultaneously managed to assert their presence in ways that are meaningful on the app. Our results elaborate on digital activist strategies and the role of platform affordances therein, and add important nuance to common conceptions of youth political participation styles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Background Objective Methods Results Conclusion TikTok contains many videos about bruxism that may help raise the level of awareness on the topic. However, the quality of these videos' information represents the greatest concern.The present cross‐sectional analysis aimed to systematically assess the reliability and educational suitability of TikTok videos as a source of information on bruxism.TikTok was searched for relevant videos uploaded until 6 March 2024, using the hashtags #bruxism, #grindingteeth and #jawclenching. Independent pre‐calibrated operators conducted video inclusion and data collection, noting videos' characteristics, source, popularity, content, reliability (assessed through the DISCERN scoring system) and educational value (assessed through the Global Quality Score [GQS]). The Kruskal–Wallis test was adopted to compare videos from different sources. Videos with low and high educational value were compared using the Mann–Whitney U‐test. Tests were considered significant when the p‐value was < 0.05.A total of 105 bruxism videos were analysed. Most videos covered bruxism management and clinical features, and more than 60% were uploaded by healthcare professionals. According to the DISCERN and GQS scoring, the videos' reliability and educational value were judged to be very poor and low, respectively, but on average they were higher for videos uploaded by healthcare professionals compared to those uploaded by laypeople. When comparing videos with high educational value to those with low educational value, differences were found in popularity, content and reliability.The present results suggest the need for greater control of information disseminated on social media to fulfil its potential role in educating laypeople about bruxism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the cultural presentation and attitudes towards using English among Thai TikTokers, focusing on how they create and present cultural content. Utilizing detailed content analysis of video titles, descriptions, and comments, alongside semi-structured interviews with 20 selected TikTokers, the research reveals the diverse motivations and challenges faced by these creators. The findings highlight a wide range of cultural content, including ethnic, lifestyle, national, subcultures, and youth cultures, which serve to engage audiences and promote cultural exchange. The study also identifies the overlapping nature of cultural presentation strategies, such as visual storytelling, educational content, user engagement, and the strategic use of hashtags and multilingual content. These strategies are designed to increase the visibility and impact of their content, enhancing a sense of global community and cultural understanding. The study categorizes attitudes towards using English into positive, negative, and mixed. While some TikTokers embrace English to broaden their international reach and facilitate intercultural communication, others express concerns about language proficiency, such as accents and grammatical accuracy, which may lead to negative feedback. This complexity underscores the challenges of multilingual content creation, balancing cultural authenticity with global engagement. By linking these findings with existing theories and studies, the research offers a comprehensive understanding of digital cultural representation on social media platforms. The insights contribute to the broader field of social media studies, providing implications for future research on content strategies, cultural communication, and the role of language in digital media. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Osteoporosis is currently considered the most common bone disease in the world and is characterized by low bone mass, deterioration of the bone tissue microstructure, and decreased bone strength. With the increasing popularity of smartphones and short videos, many patients search for various types of health information through social media, such as short videos. As one of China's short video giants, TikTok has played a significant role in spreading health information. We found that there are many videos about osteoporosis on TikTok; however, the quality of these short videos has not yet been evaluated. Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the information quality of osteoporosis videos on the domestic TikTok platform. Methods: We retrieved and screened 100 videos about osteoporosis from TikTok, extracted the basic information, encoded the video content, and recorded the source of each video. Two independent raters evaluated the information quality of each video via the DISCERN rating scale. Result: The videos were divided into three groups according to their source: medical personnel, science communicators, and news media, with medical personnel posting the most videos. The content of the video is divided into 7 groups, namely, disease prevention, disease diagnosis, disease symptoms, disease overview, life-style, drug knowledge, and drug treatment, with the most videos related to disease overview. The average DISCERN score of the videos is 37.69 (SD = 6.78), mainly within the 'poor' (54/100, 54%) and 'appropriate' (43/100, 43%) rating ranges, with overall quality being low. Further analysis revealed a positive correlation between the number of shares, comments, likes, and favorites, and a positive correlation between the DISCERN score and the number of shares and favorites. Conclusion: The overall quality of videos concerning osteoporosis on TikTok is lower, but the quality of videos varies significantly across different sources. We should be selective and cautious when watching videos about osteoporosis on TikTok. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To evaluate the information quality of hypertension-related videos on the TikTok short video platform and assess their potential value for public health education. Methods In June 2024, we searched the TikTok short video platform using the keyword "hypertension" selecting the top 200 videos and ultimately including 177 videos for quality evaluation. Structured content integrity assessment tools and the DISCERN video quality assessment tool were used to evaluate the videos. The correlation between video quality and characteristics (duration, likes, comments, favorites, and shares) was studied. Results The 177 videos received 11 250 432 likes, 366 588 comments, 3 265 929 favorites, and 3 780 513 shares. The median video length was 111 seconds (74, 158), and the median upload days were 672 days (147, 878). 89.3% of the videos were posted by doctors, 8.5% by individual science communicators, and 2.3% by news agencies. 98.9% of the videos had subtitles, all featured individuals, and only 26.0% included animated demonstrations. Content integrity scores were: definition 0.19±0.40, symptoms 0.11±0.32, risk factors 0.29±0.50, assessment 0.36±0.45, management 0.81±0.47, and outcomes 0.63±0.58. 90.4% of the videos had a DISCERN score of ≤50, indicating "average" or below quality, with no significant difference in DISCERN scores among different publishers (P>0.05). DISCERN scores were significantly correlated with video duration (r=0.409, P<0.001). Conclusion The overall quality of hypertension-related videos on TikTok is low, with a significant positive correlation between video duration and quality. High-quality videos receive less attention, making TikTok an unsuitable platform for hypertension education due to low information quality and reliability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Applications that utilize artificial intelligence (AI) to generate content have become increasingly prevalent, exemplified by the popular platform TikTok. The aim of this study is to examine the impact of TikTok on the professional development of police cadets. This research employs a mixed method, adopting an exploratory and analytical approach to inquiry. To ascertain the findings, a survey was conducted with 590 cadets, who expressed a positive regard for the platform as a novel technological instrument in the realm of educational support. In conclusion, the use of TikTok in an appropriate manner and the strategic integration of its content into teaching can result in the tool becoming a valuable technological innovation aid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study analyzes and proposes the concept of "spontaneous audiovisual autoethnography" on TikTok, revealing a diversity of cultural narratives. Autoethnographers like @jairdesdeelcampo0 and @indigenac4mp0 defy conventions, authentically connecting with a global audience. The research is based on content analysis, web observation, and film analysis theory. It highlights the communicative evolution from simple selfnarratives to complex and aesthetic representations. The study theoretically defines spontaneous autoethnography on TikTok. This typology transcends borders, projecting rural, ethnic, and peasant life. The present study contributes to understanding new forms of sociocultural expression on digital platforms, emphasizing TikTok's significant impact on preserving audiovisual memory and disseminating diverse voices globally. The research underscores the relevance of the phenomenon in contemporary cultural dynamics and how it amplifies diverse voices globally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractBackgroundMethodsResultsConclusionsImplicationsE-cigarette use has risen rapidly, especially among young people. TikTok is one of the most commonly used social media platforms among young people. The representation of vaping cessation messages in TikTok content remains unexplored. We aimed to address this gap by analyzing the vaping cessation content prevalent on TikTok.This cross-sectional mixed methods study analyzed the top 100 TikTok videos—determined based on view-counts—related to vaping cessation. Our quantitative analysis examined video characteristics, while our qualitative analysis identified key thematic representations.The final sample included 87 videos, with a combined total of over 100 billion views. Most videos were created by regular users (general TikTok content creators) rather than those identifying as health experts or professionals such as doctors, acupuncturists or dental hygienists. Very few posts mentioned evidence-based cessation aids or support. Videos scored high on understandability but low on actionability based on standardized criteria. Qualitative analysis identified nine key themes: motivations for quitting, barriers to quitting, use of aids and strategies, relapse experiences, identity and self-image, celebrating cessation success, emotional journey of quitting vaping, seeking social support, and limited mentions of healthcare providers.TikTok appears to be a useful influential forum for studying quitting behavior through the sharing of personal experiences and perspectives on vaping cessation. Opportunities exist to integrate evidence-based messaging and support into this platform. Findings can inform social media interventions designed to counter pro-vaping content and promote quitting e-cigarette use.Partnerships among health professionals, public health experts, and social media influencers may be leveraged to disseminate proven vaping cessation techniques on leading social media platforms such as TikTok. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the use of TikTok by public broadcasters France TV, BBC and SVT to measure its informational and promotional relevance on the platform, and to identify the types of videos that generate the highest levels of engagement among users. By examining the news profile associated with the information and the corporate profile of each of the selected broadcasters, 120 publications were analyzed, counting the number of users and interactions, including likes and levels of engagement of the content. In addition, a content analysis was carried out focusing on the formal, promotional and informative characteristics of the posts. The findings revealed an interest in both promotional and informational content shared by the platforms on TikTok. In the case of SVT, higher levels of engagement are observed in comparison to the BBC and France TV profiles. Among the contents with the highest engagement, those of an informative kind with a focus on social issues stand out, highlighting proximity and immediacy. In the promotional domain, videos about events and cultural content stand out. From a structural point of view, content designed specifically for the platform predominates, as opposed to adaptations and with a duration of <1 min. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies have shown that social media influences adolescents’ perceptions of their body image and self-esteem. This study examines TikTok’s impact on these aspects, specifically focusing on adolescent boys, a demographic that has been underrepresented in research. Given the scarcity of prior studies on this topic, we employed a qualitative, exploratory methodology. The study sample was purposive, comprising 15 pre-adolescents (ages 10-14) and 15 adolescents (ages 15-19). We conducted semi-structured interviews, which were subsequently transcribed and analyzed using thematic analysis with MaxQDA software. Our findings indicate that TikTok can have both positive and negative effects on male adolescents’ self-perception of body image and self-esteem. Certain practices on TikTok were associated with increased body vigilance and changes in sports practices and eating habits. While excessive use of the platform negatively impacted self-esteem, the type of content consumed also played a significant role, leading to positive outcomes in some cases. These results contrast with previous studies focused on female adolescents, highlighting the importance of exploring the male perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study analyzed the content of videos on Al Jazeera and Al Hadath platforms regarding the Sudanese war that started on April 15, 2023. The aim was to identify the news coverage objectives of both platforms by examining their Tik Tok videos and assessing the media frameworks used to cover the Sudanese war. The researcher employed the content analysis method and monitored information using the form. The analysis - covered videos published on the two TikTok platforms from March 1 to June 30, 2024, totaling 189 videos – (87) were from Al Jazeera and (102) from Al Hadath . The study found that the primary framework of the videos was "conflict," focusing on reporting battles and military clashes. The study also revealed that the videos aimed to provide information, offer explanations and interpretations, and convey an image of the events, with providing information being the predominant goal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Young people are sharing their experiences of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) in the United Kingdom on TikTok. Little is known about the content of these videos and their influence on young people's attitudes towards seeking professional mental health support. Methods: This study explored how CAMHS is represented in a sample of 100 #camhs TikTok videos using participatory inductive framework thematic analysis. Results: Four themes were developed alongside young people as co‐researchers: (a) CAMHS can be frustrating and unhelpful, but sometimes life‐saving, (b) Young people can feel their distress is invalidated by CAMHS, (c) CAMHS makes young people feel responsible for their distress, and (d) Young people may not feel CAMHS professionals are trustworthy. Video content described dismissive responses to expressions of suicidal ideation, professional knowledge being privileged over lived experience, and breaches of confidentiality. Some shared positive experiences of CAMHS helping to keep them safe. Conclusions: Together, the themes reflect a representation of CAMHS as a service where adults are powerful and young people occupy a subjugated position. This may influence young people's professional help‐seeking behaviour. Recommendations for clinical practice and future research are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the representation of radical and anti-radical ideologies among German Islamic TikTok creators, analyzing 2983 videos from 43 accounts through qualitative content analysis. The results reveal two main content clusters: religious practice involving social/lifestyle issues and political activism around Muslim grievances. Victimization, found in 150 videos, was the most common indicator associated with radicalization and emerged as a source of political activism and subversive discourse. Overall, indicators of radicalism were scarce, suggesting that visible mainstream Islamic creators do not exhibit high levels of radical ideology. However, this also reflects a selection bias in the design of this study, which systematically overlooks fringe actors. In addition, religious advocacy was the most common topic (1144 videos), serving as a source of guidance and motivation, but was occasionally linked to sectarianism and rigid religious interpretations. Male creators posted more religious/theological videos; female creators posted more lifestyle videos. However, gender distinctions are limited due to the low representation of female creators (6). Some topics, such as the hijab, served as an intersection between religious practice and politicized narratives. This study highlights TikTok's role in promoting diverse ideological views and shaping community engagement, knowledge sharing, and political mobilization within Germany's Muslim digital landscape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]