Abstract
Media convergence is generating many collective performances on social media, where the rise of short-form videos has created a new opportunity for the empowerment of society on online platforms. In this context, TikTok appears as an application for creative expression through music clips and lip-syncs. Through the #ThisIsMeChallenge hashtag, which introduces the musical theme of <em>The Greatest Showman</em> film, we analyze a new online practice within messages from traditionally marginalized groups throughout individual and collective life events. In order to understand TikTok as a music venue for social empowerment, we conducted a quantitative content analysis of 100 TikTok posts under the hashtag, and an artificial intelligence sentiment analysis across 8,877 comments. The results show a wide range of performance work that addresses issues of gender, sexual orientation, racial discrimination, and other types of current hate speech. In short, we conclude that TikTok has become a platform that seems to motivate activism and empowerment of marginalized groups through music frameworks that challenge social discrimination.
Highlights
Social media has become an essential space for the study of empowerment in terms of identity negotiation among individuals, and as a window into the self‐expression by users interacting with each other and for each other (Literat & Kligler‐Vilenchik, 2021)
We found terms that referred to the empowerment of these marginalized groups with messages such as “powerful and strong message,” “keep fighting for your dreams,” or “it’s empowering 😍😘♥.’’ On the other hand, we found expressions that praised the content created by TikTokers: “your transitions are amazing 💯💞💪,’’ “look at that picture quality,” “those transitions are cleaner than my face 😳,’’ “super talented 😻❤,’’ and “you are a crack and you deserve to be duetted.”
In this research we explored the role of music for cybercitizen empowerment within TikTok and the #ThisIsMeChallenge trend
Summary
Social media has become an essential space for the study of empowerment in terms of identity negotiation among individuals, and as a window into the self‐expression by users interacting with each other and for each other (Literat & Kligler‐Vilenchik, 2021). A spinning circle appears at the bottom of each video to click and learn more about the audio: videos that have used it, the song itself, or the option to add it to your favorites (Anderson, 2020) This sound appropriation process has generated a wide range of popular content and challenges, as well as a wave
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