CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY

The annual global job loses hits new highs frequently especially since the advent of Information

and Communication Technology(ICT) notably the internet which birthed social media (Agbawe

2018). Currently, there is a renewed concern regarding the technological advancement that, it

displaces much of workforce and consequently create widespread unemployment, human

hardship and social disruption (McClure 2018). Some economists have advanced the argument

that government must act to avert the loss of jobs that are likely to be replaced by technology

(Van Roy, Vertesy, and Vivarelli 2018). However, other authors have argued that opposition to

technology stems from a lack of understanding of the economic usefulness of technology (Peters

2017) and such arguments also believe that technology will help to deepen job creation and

youth empowerment.

This can only be possible if the contribution of technology to economic development of the new

technology is diffused and applied. Diffusion results from the individual’s decision in the

exploitation of the new technology; such is what social media offers.

As much as the proliferation of ICT created job redundancy in some aspects, considering the

ease and speed of ICT which replaced hitherto some human jobs; it has equally opened larger

opportunities for part and full-time paid employment (McClure 2018). Harrah (2016) contends

that more than job creation, the presence of the internet has specially opened an unlimited

window of entrepreneurial activity large enough to empower any enterprising youth. This unique

dimension of ICT got more prospective with the advent of social media interaction in the digital

space. Many youths are finding it more convenient to exist and reach out to the world in the

digital world than they do within their physical space. In reality, a number of youths have been

able to catch in on this presence for empowerment. Many are taking advantage of the paid

services of leading social networking sites such as TikTok.

Tiktok is a video sharing app that allows users to create and share short videos on any topic. The

app which started out in 2014 as musical.ly, was later acquired by a China based company and

has now emerged as the 16th most popular social media app in Nigeria. TikTok catapulted into

the lives of Gen Zers and Millenials initially as a form of entertainment and escapism during the

COVID-19 pandemic and over the years it has proven to be a useful medium through which

youths get empowered, people exhibit their art, promote their businesses and even engage in

informal education about so many issues that are of interest to people. From being just a music

video content platform, TikTok has evolved into a social platform that provides a wide variety of

contents, and the process of creating, producing and editing videos was easily provided. Since it

started its service, it has analysed various social phenomena that have appealed to young people

thereby creating platforms and avenues for empowerment for them. By coming up with different

ideas for TikTok videos,they get to explore their imagination and get creative and this will help

in the real world in professions like advertising, digital marketing, social media and so on.

TikTok helps youths through diverse measures like; Income generation, learning valuable

information and skills, discipline training, unleashes creativity,builds confidence and importantly

helps to learn videography, editing and directing skills.

During the lockdown in 2020, Nollywood actress Iyabo Ojo made millions on TikTok.

According to her, “at first it started off as fun but i was able to get the attention of corporate

 bodies in need of advertising”. Other Nigerian youths like ‘BEAUTY GODDESS’,

‘SOFTMADEIT’, ‘BERYLAMA’, ‘AJI ANJE’, ‘PRISCILLA OJO’, ‘DJ KAMOL2’,

‘DIMOFLAGOS’, ‘TEEMANIA’ etc. have also emerged as TikTok influencers and are gradually

making money off the application directly and indirectly in the sense that if you’re not getting

paid by TikTok directly, there are chances of getting noticed by brands through creative contents

posted on the platform.

Going by the unlimited opportunities provided by TikTok, perhaps there will be more

empowerment among youths who utilise and take advantages of the potency of TikTok to create

profitable contents. This study provides an overview of the functionality of the TikTok

application.

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Social media enabled by various ICTs is providing new avenues for job creation that could help

tackle global unemployment (Raja 2013). For instance, the development of the mobile phone

application industries has created new opportunities for small and medium sized enterprises

(SMEs).

A firm that provides a digital application to the Apple app store, for example gains access to over

500 million app store account holders. It is of no doubt that social media connects people to jobs.

Online employment marketplaces are helping estimated 12 million people worldwide find work

by connecting them with employers globally but there has been little or less focus and research

on specific social media platforms and the youth empowerment schemes/channels often

projected which has necessitated this study hence looking into the entrepreneurial aspect of

TikTok, TikTok as a tool for youth empowerment otherwise said to be a Money Making tool.

 There has been major attempts by scholars on he uses of general social media platforms e.g.

Alhabash and Ma,2014 studied Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat. However, there

seems to be little consistency and concentration on TikTok and this peculiar reason has birthed

this study.

This study provides an overview of the functionality of the TikTok app. It investigates the ways

in which TikTok helps to empower youths. Although, several researchers have been done on

other areas of social media like Facebook, Instagram and Youtube as a tool for youth

empowerment, there has been little or no attention paid to the Uses of TikTok for youth

empowerment so this study will be aiming at bridging the gap by investigating more and

highlighting the benefits of TikTok as a youth empowerment tool and the need for it to be

embraced.

1.3 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

Aim

The main aim of this study is to examine uses and gratification of TikTok as a tool for youth

empowerment.

Objectives

The objectives of the study are to:

1. To examine the patronage of TikTok amongst youths.

2. To determine the awareness of TikTok as a tool for empowerment amongst youths.

3. To analyse the relevance of the video broadcast material relating to youth empowerment.

4. To ascertain youths appeal towards the usage of TikTok

 1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

This study will be guided by the following research questions:

1. What is the level of TikTok patronage amongst youths?

2. To what extent are youths aware that TikTok serves as an empowerment tool?

3. How often do people watch TikTok videos?

4. How relevant are TikTok videos for youth empowerment?

1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This study will enable relevant agencies concerned with youth empowerment embrace the usage

of TikTok in its approach at sensitising the youths on making good use of social media platforms.

This study would be of immense importance to Nigerian youths who are yet to realise that

TikTok could serve as a money-making tool. This study will help them utilise the application as

an empowerment platform.

This study will be realevant to youths , students, researchers and scholars who are interested in

developing further studies on the uses and gratification of TikTok as a tool for youth

empowerment.

1.6 SCOPE OF THE STUDY

In geographical terms, this study will be limited to the confines of Lagos State and youths

residing in Lagos state. The contextual scope of the study will be limited to the assessment of the

entreprenurial aspect of social media especially on TikTok.

This study will be evaluating the Uses of TikTok and how it empowers the youths alike.

1.7 DEFINITION OF TERMS

• Social Media: The term social media refers to a computer-based technology that facilitates the

sharing of ideas, thoughts and information through virtual networks and communities. Social

media is internet-based and gives users quick electronic communication of content, such as

personal information, documents, videos and photos. Users engage with social media via web-

based software or applications.

• Uses and Gratification Theory: Uses and Gratification Theory explains how people use

media to fulfill their needs. Gratification of needs is the most important roe of media for

humans. People get knowledge, interaction, relaxation, awareness, escape and entertainment

through media which they use for interpersonal communication as well. It is an approach to

understanding why and how people actively seek out specific media to satisfy specific needs. It

tends to focus on ‘what people do with a specific media’.

• Youth Empowerment: Youth empowerment is a process where children and young people are

encouraged to take charge of their lives. They do this by addressing their situation and then

take action in order to improve their access to resources and transform their consciousness

through their beliefs, values and attitudes. It is the process of enhancing the capability of the

individual youth.

• Information and Communication Technology(ICT): ICT is an extensional term for

information technology(IT) that stresses the role of unified communications and the integration

of telecommunications (telephone lines and wireless signals) and computers as well as

necessary enterprise software, middleware, storagee and audiovisual, that enables users to

access, store, transmit, understand and manipulate information.

 • TikTok: TikTok known as Douyin in China is a short-form video hosting service owned by

chinese company ByteDance. It hosts a variety of short-form user videos, from genres like

pranks, stunts, tricks, jokes, dance and entertainment with durations from 15 seconds to 10

minutes.

 CHAPTER TWO

LITERATURE REVIEW

2.0 Introduction

This chapter is devoted to review literature relevant to this study; it contains various concepts

related to this research, theoretical framework which contains theory that are relevant to this

research work and empirical review that contains past scholarly works that are related to this

study.

2.1 Conceptual Review

2.1.1 SOCIAL MEDIA

The term Social media has been defined in different ways by different authors. According to

Kaplan and Haenlein(2010); Social media are "a series of Internet-based applications that expand

on the theoretical and technological foundations of Web 2.0, and enable the creation and

exchange of user created content. O’Reilly's definition of social media from 2005 is cited by

Sinclaire and Vogus (2011): "Social media is a wide word that includes software tools that create

user generated content that can be shared."

Ellison, Lampe & Steinfield (2009) stated that “Social Network sites provide simple,

inexpressive ways to organize members, arrange meetings, spread information and gauge

opinion”. As more system emerges, there will be greater capacity for groups to organize and

participate in collective action, a hallmark of civil society.

Ellison & Boyd (2007) defines Social media site as a networked communication platform in

which participants: Uniquely identifiable profits that consist of user-supplied, content provided

by other users, and/or system-provided data, can publicly articulate connections that can be

viewed and traversed by others, can consume, produce and interact with streams of user-

generated content provided by their connections on the site.

The phrase ‘social media’ is frequently used to describe emerging types of media that encourage

interactive engagement. The broadcast age and the interactive age are two eras that have often

been used to categorise the growth of media. In the era of broadcast media, messages were nearly

always disseminated to large numbers of people by a single organisation, such as a radio station,

television station, newspaper publisher, or film studio. Feedback to media outlets was frequently

impersonal, indirect, and delayed. Mediation was used to facilitate contact between people on a

much smaller scale, mainly through personal letters, phone calls, or occasionally on a somewhat

larger scale using tools like photocopied family newsletters.

A new media period when interactivity was put at the heart of new media functions was born as a

result of the advent of digital and mobile technology, which made large-scale engagement easier

for people than ever before. A single person could now address a large audience and receive

immediate feedback. Citizens and customers could now convey their ideas to a large audience

when they previously had a small and somewhat muted voice. In addition, there are now more

options for media consumption than ever before thanks to new technology's low cost and

accessibility. Instead of relying solely on a small number of news outlets, people can now find

information from a variety of sources and engage in discussion about it on message boards.

Social media is at the centre of this continuing change.

Social media offers young people the chance to connect with other users who share their

interests, but it also allows for user comparison. This comparison is common among young

people of all generations, but it is somewhat more anonymous on social media. Social media

provides identity for young people without the necessity for face-to-face connection, which is

important for their growth. According to studies on social media usage, teens and young people

mostly use social media for interpersonal and interactive searches rather than for knowledge,

entertainment, or just to kill time. Studies have shown that among young people who use social

media, the primary motivation is to improve upon internal perceived weaknesses (Valerie, 2009).

Social media has grown to play a significant role in our lives. Today, everyone from presidents to

first graders searches social media platforms and adds to the never-ending supply of information,

movies, and image forums. The desire to use social media is referred to as a "Fear of Missing

Out" in a New York Times article, which goes on to say that simple pleasures like a concert, a

hidden beach, or brunch become crucial in feeling like we are a part of a bigger community

(Herman, 2019). Social media has become an integral part of peoples' daily lives, including their

personal and political beliefs. Facebook, Facebook, Facebook! the audience shouted during the

swearing-in of Jair Bolsonaro as the new president of Brazil. "WhatsApp, WhatsApp,

WhatsApp!" they cried, praising the social media sites for helping their favoured president win

(Beauchamp, 2019).

2.1.2 CONCEPTUALIZING SOCIAL MEDIA

Since their introduction, social network sites (SNS5) such as MySpace, Facebook, Cyworid and

Bebo have attracted millions of users, many of whom have integrated these sites into daily

activities. As of this writing, there are hundreds of SNSs, with various technological affordances,

supporting a wide range of interests and practices, while their key technological features are

 fairly consistent the cultures that emerge around SNSs are varied. Most sites supports the

maintenance of pre-existing social network, but others help strangers connect based on shared

interests, political views, or activities. Some sites cater diverse audience, while others attracts

people based on common language or shared racial, sexual, religious, or nationality-based

identities. Sites also vary in the extent to which they incorporate new information and

communication tools, such as mobile connectivity, blogging and photo/video sharing (Boyd&

Ellison, 2007).

Social media Sites are web-based services that allow Individuals to: (l) Construct public profile

with in a bounded system. (2) Articulate a list of other users with whom they share a connection

and, (3) View and traverse their list connections and those made by others within the system

(Boyd & Ellison, 2007).Some authors prefer the term social networking sites and point to sites

such as LinkedIn, which are used primarily for networking or building one’s list of personal

contacts (Greenhow, 2011). These terms are used interchangeably, which defines social network

sites as web-based services through which individuals can maintain existing ties and develop

new social ties with people outside their network (Greenhow & Askari, 2016).

To an average user, a social network is a simple application that lives within our desktop or web

browser. It consists of a log-in page, a user account, a profile and a bunch of games and tools to

make the time we spend with our friends fun. However, there is a lot of sophisticated hardware

and software that must constantly run to enable these applications to run. The people who use

social network are called “Users”, and the social network themselves are called “Applications”

(Ryan, 2011).

 Social media, such as Facebook and Bebo, are essentially online communities that allow users to

come together, communicate and share things such as photographs, music or other files and most

prolifically to create short messages, often in the style of a mobile phone text message but shared

among a group. People use the sites to ask their friends questions, say how they feel today and

what they are up to, or comment on something they have seen on someone’s page. These sites are

typical of the internet today in exploiting what are known as “Web 2.0 technologies” (Haigh,

2010).

2.1.3 TIKTOK AS A SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM

Numerous new applications have emerged as a result of the short video sectors' quick expansion,

which has primarily encouraged the short video to grow. The market for short video applications

in China was opened in the second half of 2013 with the appearance of short video apps

including micro-vision, second beat, and meipai. Then, in 2015, the Kuai app, as well as the

watermelon and volcanic videos that were aimed at all user levels, caused a mobile video frenzy

in China. These apps typically share commonalities and the material is mostly crude amusement.

The short video app didn't get any new life until the 2016 release of the Tik Tok app, and because

to TikTok's distinctiveness, it has quickly amassed a sizeable following of users (Xiao, 2018).

Only at the 2017 Spring Festival did TikTok, which promoted music, gain another 30 million

registered members, bringing the total number of subscribers to 60 million (Qi, 2018).

Zhang Yiming created Musical.ly in September 2016. In November 2017, Beijing Bytedance

Technology purchased the app musical.ly and changed the name to TikTok. This app rose quickly

to become the most popular Chinese-originated app in terms of global distribution (Xiong & Ji,

 2019). 800 million monthly users have been reported as of November 2020 (Xiong & Ji, 2019),

while 738 million first-time installs are anticipated in 2022 (Shao, 2018). Use of TikTok is

permitted for people who are 13 or older, although 16 or older is the minimum age for direct

messaging between users (to prevent grooming of young users) (Kaye, Chen & Zeng, 2020). The

majority of TikTok users in China (81.68%) are under 35 years old (Shao, 2018). In the

meantime, TikTok's engineers created a version of the app that filters problematic information for

young users in order to safeguard children and teenagers from harmful content (such as smoking,

drinking, or offensive language) (Shao, 2018). It should be noted that the app currently uses the

names TikTok on the international market and DouYin on the Chinese market (Kaye, Chen &

Zeng, 2020).

TikTok is a social media platform for short videos with music. It is a community for 15-second

music videos made by and for young people. With the help of this software, users can choose

songs and record 15-second music videos to create own content. It has a few advantages over

other programs for short videos. First off, TikTok put a lot of emphasis on music; it was the first

short video app to do so, and its content is considerably more vertical. The content is more

unique and fascinating because it is centred on the music. It is distinct from other kinds of short

video apps that offer repetitive and comparable material. Second, everyone can participate in the

straightforward video making because the shooting procedures are straightforward and simple to

use. Additionally, the user stickiness was boosted by the user-friendly design, which merely

requires users to scroll up and down to choose video material. On the other side, the Kuai app's

UI is complicated and challenging to use. Thirdly, TikTok implemented the big data algorithm so

that it could track users' browsing habits, analyse their content preferences, and then suggest

content to various people. Future development for Tik Tok still has a very wide and far-reaching

potential space.

To mention one particularly notable aspect of the platform, the TikTok application, which is

accessible for Android and Apple smartphones, allows users to create short movies in which they

may perform playback-videos to various hit tunes. These so-called "LipSyncVideos" can be

downloaded for noncommercial use, shared with other users, discussed, and of course liked.

TikTok users watch a lot of videos, in addition to the playback videos that are submitted there. In

"challenges," users can specify which performance should be produced by a large number of

individuals. As a result, users of TikTok copy the material or engage with the original video.

TikTok has been criticised for promoting hate (Weiman & Masri, 2020), data protection issues/

privacy (Neyaz, et al., 2020), representing a global phenomena (high user numbers in a very

short time-window), and maybe serving as a platform for cyberbullying (Anderson,

2020) (Kumar & Goldstein, 2020). It is especially important to better understand the motivation

to use TikTok, as well as related themes, given the platform's large number of young users

(81.68% of TikTok users in China are under 35 years old and 32.5% of the US users are 19 years

of age and younger).

2.1.4 THE UNIQUENESS OF THE TIKTOK APPLICATION

The feature that sets a product apart from similar products, its primary competitive advantage,

and its capacity to facilitate future product development are collectively referred to as its

uniqueness (Arnold, 1998). Uniqueness is the most crucial and competitive quality for the short

video apps given their rapid development.

 Zhi (2018) outlined three characteristics that set TikTok apart from other apps for short videos.

The first uses various forms of background music as the app's main theme to get more young

people to join. The second is big data analysis of user preferences to recommend various things

to them, giving people a good way to select what they enjoy. TikTok was the first short video app

to use big data analysis. The third one is the 15-second time limit, which makes use of the

fragmented time of users. It is a quality that adjusts to life's quick pace.

Focusing on the qualities of music, Garnett (2016) claimed that since ancient times, music has

served as an embodiment of people's spiritual pursuits. Different types of music can provide

individuals with various sensations, as well as aid in body relaxation and stress relief. Today's

youth are more inclined to utilise music to control their emotions. Young individuals can be

observed, for instance, listening to music while wearing headphones on the metro. According to

Rothstein (1975), music is a vital aspect of life and a universal form of expression that

encourages widespread engagement among its audience. According to Chao (2017), music apps

will always have a place due of the qualities of music and the development of different apps.

Large-scale data analysis is referred to as big data analysis. Since the advent of the media era,

media has been a significant conduit and method for doing big data research. For media, there

are many audiences, and it is simple to obtain first-hand information on how they use media,

evaluate the information, and create personalised features to draw in more viewers. Media and

users can develop enduring and solid interactive relationships with the use of big data analysis

(Feng, 2014).

As a result, some media use big data analysis and take some useful action. For instance, in 2012,

Sina (one of China's online media businesses) updated the website and emphasised its social

components based on big data analysis. It is convenient to deliver personalised media content

and microblog content to the user and concurrently address their informational and social

demands by engaging in online social activities and understanding the informational and

accepting habits of the audience (Guo, 2005).

Regarding the use of fragmented time, Chen (2017) asserts that due to societal development and

the rapid pace of human life, people's free time is much more dispersed and condensed. It is

crucial to understand how to utilise fractured time to its fullest. Meng (2016) noted that one

method for utilising fragmented time is the short video app. Short videos typically range in

length from 5 seconds to several minutes, making them suitable for viewers' free time. The usage

of people's fragmented time is increased by fragmented information. It enables individuals to

peruse information in spare moments, such on the metro or during meals. Receiving and

choosing information is becoming simpler.

The fact that TikTok has a 15-second duration constraint made "short" the main distinction

between it and other similar apps. It makes production more complex but also improves the

quality of the content in videos. The use case for mobile and fragmentation is likewise adjusted

to the 15-second time frame. According to the audience's viewing preferences, they are more

eager to participate in the evaluation of high-quality content, and their memories are more vivid.

In other words, "short" has emerged as the key differentiator in brand marketing (Zhi, 2018).

Uniqueness is the product's primary competitive advantage and its ability to support its growth.

Uniqueness is crucial for the long-term and sustainable growth of the short video business as

short video apps evolve, and it is also beneficial to build solid and long-lasting relationships with

target consumers.

 2.1.5 TIKTOK ON YOUTHS: ENGAGEMENT AND INFLUENCE

TikTok is used by many individuals, although youths make up the majority of users, and it has

grown popular among celebrities. It is free advertising for many people wanting to become

overnight celebrity, if TikTok posts original stuff and their viewers are amused and receive lots

of comments and reactions. Iodice and Papapicco (2021) claim that TikTok users invade a

variety of environments, expanding the phenomenon, and that it is the internet that inspires a

theorisation of fun as a new kind of social impact. TikTok is a fantastic resource for making new

friends.

It has grown to be the most popular app since its inception in 2016 by the Chinese technology

company ByteDance, with "2.6 billion active monthly users by the beginning of 2021" and "took

in $17.4 billion in advertising income in the first quarter of 2020 alone." 60% of users are female

and 69% are between the ages of 13 and 24 (D'Souza, 2021). It surpassed Facebook Messenger

to become the most downloaded app in 2020 (BBC, 2021).

Young people love TikTok, which has let many of them express themselves freely and creatively.

The pandemic has also given the youth a way to release their pent-up energy and

boredom. Tiffany Diep, head of public relations for TikTok, claims that "the quarantine has been

a big element that immediately made our numbers soar. It is only natural to observe more

individuals using TikTok and other such platforms to keep themselves engaged, educated, and

connected as more people choose to stay at home (as cited in Mateo, 2020).

The preferred platform for Generation Z's want and interest, which is content creation, is

currently TikTok. This allows young people a platform to showcase their abilities, skills, dreams,

desires, ambitions, hopes, concerns, issues, etc. through the creation of video material. TikTok

has established itself as a leading platform for people to express themselves, serving as "the ideal

channel for escapism to the app to alleviate their boredom or because it's a quick and easy way to

become famous, but it's equally possible to frame TikTok's predictable, lighthearted nature as an

an aesthetic to mass anxiety" (Escober, 2020).

Because of TikTok's influence on young people, they now have a platform to amuse their

audience. According to Dilon's study (2021), TikTok has its fair number of influencers, just like

other social media platforms, and the 15-second video format draws what are referred to as

meme machines. Meme machines are influencers who profit from views, likes, comments, and

shares. It is stated when a user of the app is delighted with how viewers respond by commenting

on or like the published TikTok.

According to Yang (2020), viewers who ‘like' a TikTok video are expressing their enthusiasm for

the material, while those who ‘comment’ are expressing their desire to engage with and improve

one another's videos. Iodice and Papapicco's study from 2021, on the other hand, shows that they

are theorising a certain kind of social influence, or "fun," that is unique to the social network and

the time. TikTok's contents, according to Jia (2017), as cited by Liqian (2018), come from all

walks of life, and the variety of contents offers users a variety of experiences. For instance,

humorous content can amuse viewers, and users may want to create similar content to bring joy

to others. The "TikTok" content is highly dynamic, according to Xu (2019), with a lot of online

and offline activities catered for young people with imagination and curiosity. Because of the

comments and responses, the TikTok video uploader is satisfied.

 TikTok has both positive and bad effects, even though it may amuse young people. According to

Fund (2021), TikTok can represent the thoughts of many people in the real world, just like it did

during the boycott effort against the Oklahoma Trump event. However, Fund also noted that

TikTok is incredibly addictive, and many users, particularly teenagers, spend hours on it every

day. As a result, it has become a significant distraction for students. Simrin (2020) acknowledged

that TikTok is a platform for publicity, learning new things, and offering new chances for

volunteering and internship for students. It is also a source of moral amusement for young

people.

She did, however, acknowledge that TikTok is intended to be addictive, stating that "it's really

simple to slip down the TikTok hole and suddenly reemerge hours later having wasted a whole

day." According to Simrin (2020), TikTok has turned into a venue for bullying and public

humiliation, endangering the mental health of viewers and users alike. Additionally, since there

are no entry requirements for using the app, it raises serious concerns about children being

exposed to dangerous situations.

According to Lee (2021), users' pleasure with TikTok was thought to operate as a bridge between

the various reasons people use the app and keep using it. He added that there is no evidence to

support either a positive or negative relationship between TikTok use and wellbeing. The general

significance of uses and gratification theory to comprehend TikTok use was also highlighted by

Lee (quoting Wang et al., 2020), who also offered necessary characteristics in the cognitive and

emotional domains as pertinent to personal/social integration and stress alleviation. Additionally,

he held the opinion that "young people utilise TikTok for positioning themselves in their peer

group and to understand where he/she stands in the peer group" (as corroborated by Shao, 2018).

 As a result, TikTok is important for young people's identity construction and getting feedback

about oneself.

However, based on internet testimonials and analysis conducted by academics and social media

aficionados, it cannot dispute the fact that TikTok has motivated and assisted numerous

individuals all over the world. TikTok has both beneficial and negative effects on youths, as has

been scientifically demonstrated, but there is no denying that it has fundamentally changed the

social media landscape as we know it today. However, in order to keep a healthy balance in

children's and teenagers' psychological and social lives, there is a need for some form of

restriction on its use.

There is little doubt that TikTok has changed the social media landscape as we know it, even

though its consequences on teenagers are debatable. In light of this, it's also crucial for users to

control their TikTok usage and have a healthy balance with the outside world.

2.1.6 TIKTOK AS A MARKETING TOOL FOR YOUTHS

Social media is a commonplace in this digital age that everyone uses effectively and has access

to on their gadgets. It is advantageous to numerous industries, particularly the business sector.

The business sector of digital marketing is one. It is a phrase used in business and economics to

refer to novel product marketing strategies. With this new approach, social media provides a

forum for information exchange between businesses and customers. Similar to this, businesses

may reach a wider audience by connecting with customers via social media and employing richer

material (Sashi, 2012). Additionally, it can make it possible for customers and marketers to

communicate about the sale of a product. The typical communication between marketers and

customers is altered by this new contact.

Additionally, social media is one of the marketing tools offered by the new media, which focuses

on providing customers with information, images, videos, and other product content (Ashley &

Tuten, 2015). TikTok, one of the most well-liked social media platforms, is now growing

quickly. The number of downloads for this widely used application increased to 1.9 billion in

2019 from over 738 million. It is now available in numerous nations and languages. Additionally,

TikTok users are growing quickly year over year, with more than 800 million active users per

month. Approximately 41% of users are between the ages of 16 and 24 and use this app for 52

minutes each day on average (Ma & Hu, 2021). Due to the large amount of active users,

marketers may find TikTok to be a useful social media platform to reach and draw customers.

TikTok has beneficial features such as videos that anybody can watch, like, and comment on to

promote or market a good or service through an influencer or marketer (Anderson, 2020).

The information content may appear with various current trends or podcasts depending on the

findings from TikTok analysis data. In this instance, TikTok has developed into one of the most

successful social media platforms for advertising and disseminating details about campus

registration initiatives.Among other social media platforms like Instagram, YouTube, and

Twitter, TikTok was placed sixth in 2019 (Presley et al., 2022).

The most affordable and entertaining instrument for producing top-notch marketing content for

use in digital marketing is TikTok. It can advertise and display product activity across a variety

of digital marketing platforms without costing extra money (Yosep et al., 2021). The platform

was made to let both marketers and customers network with other individuals in addition to

promoting the product. As a result, they can interact and talk to utilise tools like comments and

direct messages (Rangaswamy et al., 2020). Additionally, according to Su, Baker, Doyle, and

Yan (2020), influencers and athletes utilise TikTok to communicate with their followers and

advertise their brands.

TikTok's vast user base and quantity of new users indicate its popularity and its potential as a

digital marketing tool. TikTok's digital marketing strategy benefits both customers and

advertisers. TikTok, however, frequently faces issues. As a result, the challenge of this popularity

requires more specialised supervision and leads to an increase in the most recent security system.

As a result, product marketers may easily produce a content video to promote their goods, and

customers can easily get information about the goods they wish to purchase.

TikTok's potential for marketing has been investigated in some earlier research. According to Li,

Xu, Song, and He (2020), TikTok was used in tourism marketing to advertise its locations.

Marketing techniques like showcasing films of stunning locations and regional cuisine were

made possible by TikTok. Thus, customers responded favourably to these marketing tactics.

Culinary researchers Van der Bend, Jakstas, Van Kleef, Shrewsbury, and Bucher (2022) claimed

that as teens made up the majority of TikTok users, marketers leveraged the platform to draw in

this demographic. They might be exposed to food marketing. The COVID-19 video was then

examined by Li, Guan, Hammond, and Berrey (2021) using a hashtag and coding method with a

quantitative focus on user involvement, video format, video genre, and video content. They

concluded that adding more hashtags would increase the likelihood that the films would

encourage user participation.

Given the foregoing, TikTok is a relatively new and well-known social media. TikTok is a

relatively new social media platform, yet it already has a sizeable user base. Numerous scholars

have investigated the viability of TikTok in digital marketing in order to take advantage of its

 popularity (Peng, 2021; Haenlein et al., 2020; Li et al., 2021). But in addition to examining

TikTok's effectiveness, research on TikTok content analysis needs to be done.

2.1.7 TIKTOK’S GROWING INFLUENCE ON THE NIGERIAN ENTERTAINMENT

INDUSTRY

The Nigerian industry has experienced a significant shift in content distribution and promotion

over the last two years. Artists, record labels, comedians, and music promoters are massively

utilising the Chinese –owned video-sharing platform, TikTok to promote songs to reach a global

audience. As the app has continued to inspire creativity that is reshaping the entertainment

landscape, it is also exposing users to new contents and talents across the continent.

According to a report, the recent success story of a Nigerian fast-rising singer, Chukwuka ‘CKay’

Ekweani, who made headlines around the world with his viral song, ‘Love Nwantiti’ on TikTok,

has convinced many professional entertainers and creators that the app is not just a gag but a

platform to promote creativity and help youths realise themselves. Even though CKay’s ‘Love

Nwantiti’ was originally released in 2019, the song became a global trend last year and has now

hit over 15 billion streams on TikTok, becoming Africa’s most successful pop song ever.

TikTok application has also helped several other artistes and youths to gain a spotlight as

celebrities in the Nigerian Entertainment industry; we have the likes of ‘Joeboy’, ‘Pheelz',

‘Rema’, ‘Asake’, ‘Kizz Daniel’, ‘Fireboy DML’, ‘Simi’, ‘FAVE’, ‘Omah Lay’, ‘AV’, ‘Tems',

‘Black Sheriff’, ‘Ruger’, ‘Yemi Alade’, ‘Ayra Starr’, ‘BNXN’, ‘Falz’, ‘BrodaShaggi’, and ‘Iyabo

Ojo’ amongst many others who are utilising the application to engage their fans.

On the TikTok’s impact on the music industry, Showbiz impresario, Obi Asika told The Nation “I

 remember 25 years ago, our traditional music has always struggled to reach a global audience,

but with social media, the music has begun to break the jinx,”

“With these apps, in the next 4 to 5 years, Afro-beat will continue to grow beyond our

imaginations. What we are looking for now – is how we can grow domestically which is to grow

live touring, sold-out shows and ticketing in better venues, better securities because the biggest

opportunity for Nigeria music is still in Nigeria.”(Obi Asika, 2022)

While some songs spark off on TikTok without seeking the approval of the copyright owner as

was the case with Pop singer, 1da Banton’s song entitled, ‘No Wahala’, some upcoming artists

are patronising TikTok influencers to promote their songs and this is where the creativity of

youths come to play and in return they get paid in huge sums.

Identifying content creation and distribution as the most important reasons for musicians to

remain relevant, TikTok enables music-lovers to make a short video and lip-sync to any of their

favourite songs, be it old or trending songs. Speaking on the revolution, foremost Nigerian

music executive, Kenny Ogungbe reminisced on the local channel of distributing music in

Nigeria.

“Nigerian music started before the internet. Our marketplace used to be Alaba International

Market but when the internet came, it revolutionised everything,” he said. Ogungbe further said,

“Today, with the use of social media apps like Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook, you can release

your record and the entire world will get to listen to it.”

A 25-year-old respondent from Abuja said: ‘I don’t know what would have become of me if not

for TikTok. When I make videos, I am surprised at the number of likes and comments I receive,

and these likes and comments go a long way in making me happy’.

2.2 EMPIRICAL REVIEW

Liquan, (2018) in the study of the perceived popularity of TikTok opined that "With the rapid

development of short video industry, all kinds of short video apps emerge at the right time and

spread quickly. However, there are little study on the short video apps. So, the research chooses

TikTok app to study. Inducting three factors: product positioning, content variety and uniqueness

to explore the relationship between them and perceived popularity of TikTok. The study is a

quantitative research and using questionnaire as data collection tool. Questionnaires are

distributed to Haidian district, Beijing, China and 200 participants who were randomly selected

are age between 1970s to 2000s. Results of Pearson-Moment Correlation showed there is a

positive relationship between product positioning, content variety, uniqueness and perceived

popularity of TikTok.

Mantymanki and Islam(2016) studied Facebook and described the needs fulfilled by users. The

researchers listed the four gratifications to include social enhancement, exhibitionism, voyeurism

and interpersonal connectivity. The four categories could be equated to some of the types of

needs listed by Whiting and Williams (2013).

Lifting Ilyse (2020) explained how brands should use TikTok. TikTok has various advertisement

products such as brand takeovers, in_feed video, branded lenses and a top view video etc.

Yu-Huan Wang, Tian-Jun Gu and, Shyang-Yuh Wang (2019) studied causes and

characteristics of short video platforms where TikTok is considered as an example. TikTok is a

short video creation platform. Its users are free to create videos with their imagination.

Individuals use this platform to become famous. Organisations use this platform to create

awareness about the organisation & their products. This app is mainly used by young people.

Qiyang Zhou (2019) studied the behaviours of TikTok & Bilibili users. TikTok users provide

comments on various knowledge videos. Most of the comments are positive &

constructive.TikTok users imitate & copy other’s content.

Nigerian Educational Consult did a study on “THE EFFECTS OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON

YOUTHS WITH AN EMPHASIS ON TIKTOK” and stated that, TikTok and Social media

provides people with a platform to express themselves. Without a doubt, it has changed people’s

way of socialising, but TikTok and Social media still faces great challenges.

Also, TikTok and Social media could coerce youths to take a break when they’ve been endlessly

using TikTok and Social media for more than two hours. After two hours, the app will

automatically exit the interface and youths will not be able to log in until tomorrow. In a word,

since TikTok and social media is one greatest media software, it should take on the responsibility

of promoting a positive guiding strategy, advocating the advantages of a short video and finally

contributing to the growth of youths’ minds.

 2.3 THEORETICAL REVIEW

2.3.1 Uses and Gratification Theory

According to the Uses and Gratification Theory (Katz, 1959), audience members actively

participate in interpreting and integrating media into their lives rather than being passive

consumers of it. The uses and gratification theory was developed by Katz and Foulkes to explain

why and how people actively seek out and use different media to satisfy particular needs (1962).

Numerous media content research projects have used this methodology as their starting point

over the years.

According to the uses and gratifications theory, people actively choose the media they want to

consume. The theory is based on two ideas: Media consumers are active in choosing the media

they watch, and they are also conscious of the reasons behind their choices. New pleasures have

evolved as a result of social media's promise of greater control and greater choice. Information

seeking, aesthetic pleasure, monetary reward, diversion, maintaining one's personal status,

maintaining relationships, and participating in a virtual community were the seven gratifications

for using the internet that were identified through research on its uses and purposes (Vinney,

2019).

According to the theory, "users/media consumers deliberately select particular media content

according to their needs. If there are any impacts, they are deliberate or at the very least

actionable" (Matei, 2010). According to the theory, media consumers look for a media outlet that

best meets their demands.

Because UGT offers a cutting-edge model to comprehend consumer media uses of that new

communication tool (Ruggiero, 2000), it is a significant theoretical approach to studying the

early stages of a new mass communication phenomenon. For this reason, it is a valid method for

examining not only social media but also TikTok in particular. TikTok is still a relatively new

phenomenon, and little is known about it. UGT sheds light on why users have grown to love it.

Only Omar and Dequan (2020) have so far investigated the consumer uses and gratifications of

TikTok, but they did so through a 2019 online quantitative survey where they particularly

investigated whether or not the users' personality qualities affected their motivations to use

TikTok. They discovered that different motives affect distinct usage scenarios. For instance,

users may watch TikTok videos for escapism, social engagement, and archival needs, or they

may interact with TikTok material for reasons like self-expression and social connection (Omar

and Dequan, 2020).

It is still unclear how and where users archive the films and why that incentive is so crucial,

despite Omar and Dequan's (2020) explanation of what archiving entails across levels of usage

circumstances (saving and compiling videos they viewed or storing and compiling videos they

liked/shared). It is possible to presume that they are saved within the TikTok app, but does this

mean that they can also be saved on the user's phone? Additionally, the report refers to many

usage levels, including content generation, consumption, and participation, although it is still

unclear exactly what is meant by participation (Omar and Dequan, 2020). For instance, when

they mention sharing, do they imply sending films to another platform or only within the app? To

completely comprehend how people share TikTok videos, more information is required.

 2.3.2SMCR Communication Theory

In order to describe various components of the communication process, David K. Berlo created a

communication model that combines philosophy, psychology, linguistics, anthropology, mass

communication, behavioural science, and other fresh perspectives (Hui, 2013). The

communication process is broken down into four fundamental components using this model: the

source, message, channel, and receiver.

The Source, Message, Channel, and Receiver (SMCR) paradigm states that the relationship

between the four components—Source, Message, Channel, and Receiver—determines any

communication process. The person who initiates communication is the source, the message is

the information to be spread, the channel is any of the methods used to spread information, and

the receiver is the individual who not only gets the information and decodes it but also offers

feedback (Gao, 1992, p. 63).

The message, which connects the source and the receiver and acts as a bridge between the prior

and subsequent, is regarded as the most crucial component of communication. It is clear how

thorough and structured material affects effective communication (Wen, 1992).

China has entered the era of smart phones, which increase speed and enlarge content, thanks to

the slow but steady advancement of science and technology. To achieve complete and effective

communication, all different types of smart phone applications have emerged with superior

content transmission services (Jiang, 2016).

The superior use of this function is Tik Tok, which puts significant effort into the material and

emphasises the originality and participation of the content (Yi, 2017). Every area of life is

represented in TikTok's content, and each type of video offers users a unique experience. For

instance, humorous content can amuse viewers, and users may desire to create similar content to

spread happiness to others. In addition, the educational material itself can impart life skills; for

instance, a short culinary film might teach viewers how to prepare meals before they apply what

they have learned to their everyday activities (Jia, 2017). Other short video formats exist as well,

each having a unique message to convey to viewers. More unique content started to emerge to

meet user demand.

In conclusion, TikTok's material is entirely based on user demands, broadens the variety of

videos and raises their quality, adapts to different users' usage styles, and ultimately makes users

more tenacious. In order to offer video material to viewers more effectively and produce

comprehensive and effective content outputs, it ensures diversity and creativity in the

communication process.

 CHAPTER THREE

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

3.1 Introduction

This section explains the method that is to be used to carry out the research; the population and

the sampling size of the study; how the data will be collected; how the data will be analyzed;

tools and materials to be used for the research and the rationale for choosing the method

3.2 Research Design

This study will adopt the descriptive research design. This is a scientific method which involves

observing and describing the behaviour of a subject, it describes people who take part in the

study. This design will be adopted because it will help in the collection of data using a wide

range of instrument from a large population and describing existing phenomena without

manipulation.

3.3 Research Method

The study will employ Survey Research Method. This is a research method for collecting data

from respondents to gain information and insight on various topics of interest. This is considered

to be appropriate for this research because survey research method enables a researcher to

establish the range and distribution of some social characteristics and to discover how those

characteristics may be related to a certain behaviour, pattern or attitude.

3.4 Population of Study

The population of study covers the entire social media users in Lagos State University and

University of Lagos especially users with at least basic knowledge of the uses of TikTok for

youth empowerment .

3.5 Sampling Size and Sampling Technique

Since the whole populace of Lagos State users of TikTok cannot be placed under the study as it

will seem an Herculean task, a purposive sampling technique and convenience sampling

technique will be adopted for this study. This study will cover students of Lagos State

University(Convenience Sampling) and University of Lagos(Purposive Sampling).

Purposive sampling also known as (judgmental selective or subjective sampling) is a form of

non-probability sampling in which researchers rely on their own judgement when choosing

members of the population to participate in their study while Convenience sampling is a type of

non- probability sampling that involves the sample being drawn from that part of the population

that is close to reach.

3.6 Research Instrument

The questionnaire is the most important instrument in survey research. Being a veritable method

of collecting data, the Questionnaire will be adopted for the purpose of this study. The

questionnaire will be made up of close-ended questions.

The questionnaire for this study will be divided into three sections. Section (A) covers the

demographic profile of respondents Section (B) solicits the general information of the

 respondents(warm up questions) and Section (C) focuses on the body of the study and asks

questions that determine respondents perceptions on the Uses of TikTok as a tool for youth

empowerment.

The 4-point Likert scale measurement method will also be adopted in the questionnaire. The

measurement in the Likert Scale ranges from:

SA - Strongly Agree

A - Agree

D - Disagree

SD - Strongly Disagree

3.7 Method of Data Analysis

The data collected will be scored and coded, summarized and they will be analyzed using

frequency tables, simple percentage and other data analysis instruments relevance to the topic of

focus.

 REFERENCE

Anderson KE. (2020) Getting acquainted with social networks and apps: It is time to talk about

TikTok. Library Hi Tech News. 37:7– 12. doi: 10.1108/LHTN-01-2020-0001

Arnold, D. (1998). New Strategies in Emerging Markets. Sloan Management Review,40 (1), 7

20.

Ashley, C., & Tuten, T. (2015). Creative strategies in social media marketing: An exploratory

study of branded social content and consumer engagement. Psychology and Marketing, 3 2 ( 1

) , 15–27. https:// doi.org/10.1002/mar.20761

Chao, P. (2017). Research on user demand and improvement countermeasures of music apps

taking "net ease cloud music" as an example. Zhejiang Media College Press,17 (01), 1 58.

Chen, L. (2017). Development and research of Tik Tok application. Henan News Press, 7 (08),

59 – 76.

D’Souza, D. (2021). What Is TikTok? https://www.investopedia.com/what-is-tiktok-4588933

Dilon, C. (2020). TikTok Influences on Teenagers and Young Adults Students: The Common

Usages of the Application TikTok. American Scientific Research Journal for Engineering,

Technology, and Sciences (ASRJETS) ISSN (Print) 2313-4410, ISSN (Online) 2313 4 4 0 2 .

http//asrjetsjournal.org/

Escober, E. (2020). How TikTok became the pastime of a country in quarantine.https://

www.cnn.ph/life/culture/tech/2020/3/30/tiktokpandemic-content.html

Feng, L. (2014). TV media marketing research in the age of big data is based on the perspective

of network integrated marketing principles. Beijing Huaxia Press, 14 (01), 55 – 76.

 Fund (2021). The Psychological Impact Of TikTok On Teenagers. Retrieved fromhttps://

www.minnetonkabreezes.com/uncategorized/2021/02 /12/the psychological impact of TikTok

on teenagers

Gao, W. (1992). Education communication. Shanghai, China: Shanghai Education.

Garnett, C. (2016). Evaluating the effectiveness of a smartphone app to reduce excessive alcohol

consumption: protocol for a factorial randomised control trial. BMC Public Health, 16 (02), 1

– 10.

Guo, M. (2005). Analysis of Chinese media transformation. Beijing Huaxia Press,05 (01), 54 79.

Iodice, R. and Papapicco, C. (2021). To be a TikToker in COVID-19 Era: An Experience of

Social Influence. Online Journal of Communication and Media Technologies, 2021,11(1),

e202103 e-ISSN: 1986-3497

Herrman, "How TikTok Is Rewriting the World," The New York Times, 10 March 2019.

Jia, N. (2017). Based on Tik Tok study How to make music short social video app get popular.

New Media Press, 16 (05), 56 - 67.

Jiang, Y. (2016). Research on mobile music APP interface design based on simple style.

Shanghai People's Publishing House,16 (12), 76 – 98.

K. Sehl, (2020) Hootsuits. Available: https://blog.hootsuite.com/what-is-tiktok/.

Kaplan AM, Haenlein M (2010) Users of the world unite! The challenges and opportunities

of social media. Business Horizons 53: 59-68.

Kaye, D., Chen X., Zeng J. (2020) The co-evolution of two Chinese mobile short video apps:

Parallel platformization of Douyin and TikTok. Mobile Media Commun. doi:

10.1177/2050157920952120.

 Kumar VL, & Goldstein MA. (2020) Cyberbullying and adolescents. Curr Pediatr Rep. 8:86– 92.

doi: 10.1007/s40124-020-00217-6

Lee (2021). On the Psychology of TikTok Use: A First Glimpse From Empirical Findings.

Retrieved from https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2021.641 673/full

Li, Y., Guan, M., Hammond, P., & Berrey, L. E. (2021). Communicating COVID-19 information

on TikTok: A content analysis of TikTok videos from official accounts featured in the

COVID-19 information hub. Health Education Research, 36(3), 261–271. https://doi.org/

10.1093/her/cyab010

Li, Y., Xu, X., Song, B., & He, H. (2020). Impact of short food videos on the tourist destination

image—Take Chengdu as an example. Sustainability, 12(17), 1–13.https://doi.org/ 10.3390/

SU12176739

Liqian, H. (2018). Study on the Perceived Popularity of TikTok. The Graduate School of

Bangkok University.

Ma, Y., & Hu, Y. (2021). Business model innovation and experimentation in transforming

economies: ByteDance and TikTok. Management and Organisation Review, 17(2), 382 3 8 8 .

https://doi. org/10.1017/mor.2020.69

Matei, S. (2010). What can uses and gratifications theory tell us about social media? matei.org/

ithink/2010/07/29/what-can-uses-andgratifications-theory-tell-us-about media/

Meng, X. (2016). Development status and reflection of short video APP in new media

environment. People’s Daily Press,12 (01), 53 – 54.

Neyaz A, Kumar A, Krishnan S, Placker J, Liu Q. (2020) Security, privacy and steganographic

analysis of FaceApp and TikTok. Int J Comp Sci Sec (IJCSS). 14:38–59. Available online at:

https://www.cscjournals.org/library/ manuscriptinfo.php? mc=IJCSS-1552

Omar, B. and Dequan, W. (2020) ‘Watch, Share or Create: The Influence of Personality Traits

and User Motivation on TikTok Mobile Video Usage’, International Journal of Interactive

Mobile Technologies (iJIM), 14(04), p.121-137.

P. Valerie Barker, "Older Adolescents’ Motivations for Social Network Site Use:,"

Cyberpsychology & behavior: the impact of the Internet, multimedia and virtual reality o n

behavior and society , p. 1, 2009

Peng, L. (2021). Impact of Tik Tok on digital marketing based on case studies and SWOT

analysis. In IC4E 2021: 2021 12th International Conference on E-Education, E-Business, E-

Management, and E-Learning (pp. 337–340).https://doi.org/10.1145/3450148.3450188

Presley, C., Pulsipher, K., Rietcheck, H., Szeto, M., Laughter, M., & Dellavalle, R. (2022). Reply

to “dermatologists in social media: A study on top influencers, posts, and user engagement”:

Dermatologist influencers on TikTok. Journal of the American Academy o Dermatology,

86(2), e71–e73. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaad.2021.01.090

Rangaswamy, A., Moch, N., Felten, C., Van Bruggen, G., Wieringa, J. E., & Wirtz, J. (2020). The

role of marketing in digital business platforms. Journal of Interactive Marketing, 5 1 ( 1 ) ,

72–90. https://doi. org/10.1016/j.intmar.2020.04.006

Rothstein, J. (2016). Qualitative Assessment of the Feasibility, Usability, and Acceptability of a

Mobile Client Data App for Community-Based Maternal, Neonatal, and Child Care in Rural

Ghana. International Journal of Telemedicine & Applications, 14 (02), 1 – 14.

Ruggiero, T.E. (2000), ‘Uses and Gratifications Theory in the 21st Century’, Mass

Communication and Society, 3(1), pp.3–37.

Sashi, C. (2012). Customer engagement, buyer-seller relationships, and social media.

Management Decision, 50(2), 253–272. https://doi. org/10.1108/00251741211203551

Shao Z. (2018). Analysis of the characteristics, challenges and future development trends of

TikTok. Mod Educ Tech. 12:81–7. (Citation has been translated from Chinese language.)

Simrin (2020). How TikTok is Affecting Youth: Positive and Negative Effects. Retrieved from

https://medium.com/linensn-love/how-tik-tok-is-affecting-youth-the-positive and negative-

effects-7381b17ac43a

Su, Y., Baker, B. J., Doyle, J. P., & Yan, M. (2020). Fan engagement in 15 seconds: Athletes’

relationship marketing during a pandemic via TikTok. International Journal of Sport

Communication, 13(3), 436–446. https://doi.org/10.1123/ijsc.2020- 0238

Sun L, Zhang H, Zhang S, Luo J.(2020) Content-based analysis of the cultural differences

between TikTok and Douyin. arXiv[Preprint].arXiv:2011.01414. Available online at: https://

arxiv.org/pdf/2011.01414v1.pdf

Van der Bend, D. L. M., Jakstas, T., Van Kleef, E., Shrewsbury, V. A., & Bucher, T. (2022).

Making sense of adolescent-targeted social media food marketing: A qualitative study of

expert views on key definitions, priorities and challenges. Appetite, 168, 1–14. https://doi.org/

10.1016/j.appet.2021.105691

Vinney, C (2019). What Is Uses and Gratifications Theory? Definition and Examples. https://

www.thoughtco.com/usesand-gratifications-theory-4628333

 Wang J. (2020) From Banning to Regulating TikTok: Addressing Concerns of National Security,

Privacy, and Online Harms. Available online at: https:// www.fljs.org/sites/ www.fljs.org/files/

publications/From%20Banning%20to %20Regulating%20TikTok.pdf

Weimann G, & Masri N. (2020) Research note: spreading hate on TikTok. Stud Conf Terror.

20:1–14. doi: 10.1080/1057610X.2020.1780027

Xiong Y, Ji Y. From content platform to relationship platform: analysis of the attribute change of

Tiktok short video. View Publish. (2019) 4:29–34. (Citation has been translated from Chinese

language.)

Xu, L. (2019). Research on the Causes of the “TikTok” App Becoming Popular and the Existing

Problems. Journal of Advanced Management Science Vol. 7, No. 2, June 2019.

Researchers%20on%20Tiktok/Reserach%20on%20the%20CAuses%20of%20the%20Ti

tok%20App%20Becoming%2 0Popular%20and%20the%20Existing%20Problems.pdf

Yang, Y. (2020). Understanding Young Adults' TikTok Usage. UCSD Department of

Communication. Researchers%20on%20Tiktok/YANG%20YUXIN- %20Understanding

young-adults-tiktok-usage.pdf

Yi, M. (2017). Content analysis based on user comments in music class application social

functions. Xinhua Press,17 (01), 5 - 15.

Yosep, M. A., Mohamed, M., Yusliza, M. Y., Saputra, J., Muhammad, Z., & Bon, A. T. (2021).

Does digital marketing platforms affect business performance? A mini-review approach. In

Proceedings of the 11th Annual International Conference on Industrial Engineering and

Operations Management (pp. 4372–4386)

Z. Beauchamp, "Social media is rotting democracy from within," VOX, 22 January 2019.

Zhang, X. (2017). The number of applications in China mobile phone.Retrieved from h t t p : / /

www.chinaidr.com.

Zhi, J. (2018). TikTok app opens the second half of the national entertainment era short video

commercial realisation test. Future Commercial Press, 18 (03), 55