Extending the Internet meme: Conceptualizing technological mimesis and imitation publics on the TikTok platform

Abstract

Scholars have long been interested in how social media platforms shape user communication and behavior. We add to this literature by critically analyzing the TikTok platform. We argue that the principles of mimesis—imitation and replication—are encouraged by the platform’s logic and design and can be observed in the (1) user sign-up process and default page, (2) icons and video-editing features, and (3) user and video creation norms. These memetic features alter modes of sociality, contributing to what we theorize as imitation publics on TikTok. This analysis extends the meme’s theoretical and methodological utility by conceptualizing the TikTok platform as a memetic text in and of itself and illustrates a novel type of networked public.