TEENAGE INTERACTION WITH TIKTOK: MEDIA AND COMMUNICATION INSIGHTS INTO ENGAGEMENT PATTERNS

Abstract This paper examines teenagers’ (15-27) interaction with TikTok, focusing on three primary dimensions: media usage trends, interaction modes, and the impact of social media measures on fashion subcultures. Adopting a cross-sectional quantitative approach, a global online survey was conducted among 760 participants, measuring the frequency of TikTok consumption, engagement strategies, and views on the use of algorithms to create fashion trends. The statistical results demonstrated a strong correlation between TikTok usage, social justification pressure, and engagement behavior, suggesting that the algorithmic recommendations serve a critical role in defining how teenagers consume and engage in creative behavior. The study findings prove that TikTok is a dominant youth media platform, which promotes participatory and trend-oriented cultures. Nevertheless, it exacerbates the issues related to social comparison, body image and the rapid change of fast-fashion trends. These results strengthens the participatory culture theory, social comparison theory, and networked publics’ theory by depicting the significance of algorithmic visibility in empowering and limiting teenage self-expression. Furthermore, the research carries significant implications to educators, policymakers, and fashion marketers who aim to interact with the youths responsibly. It highlights the necessity of a balanced digital literacy campaign and sustainable fashion communication approaches. Thus comprehending TikTok’s implication both fostering creativity and reinforcing validation-seeking tendencies, is key for navigating teenagers social media engagement’ changing dynamics.