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Smith, Sam Accepted Thesis SP23.pdf (563.18 KB)

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The Dialectic of TikTok: Fakeness and Authenticity in the New Digital Age

Smith, Samuel R.
http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6777-5343
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1681229782007156

Abstract Details

2023, Master of Arts (MA), Ohio University, Sociology (Arts and Sciences).
First available in the US in 2017, TikTok is a relatively new social media platform. This, however, has not prevented it from playing a massive role in people's socialization. Although some hail social media as the end of the culture industry’s tyranny, the fundamental logic of capitalist ownership and production still guides TikTok, as evidenced by the prevalence of advertising, data collection, and censorship on the platform. In capitalist society, ubiquitous hints of emancipation that are often eclipsed by realities of alienation and manipulation lead people to crave something "real," or "authentic” – perhaps explaining the latter term’s status as a buzzword in TikTok discourse. With authenticity being a socially constructed designation, I aim to discern the criteria people employ to determine (in)authenticity on TikTok. I ground my critique in the Frankfurt School to explore how determinations of authenticity reinforce or subvert capitalist reality. To gather data, I conducted a “scavenger hunt” study of 238 people in which they provided links to videos they deemed fake and authentic alongside justifications for why they thought a video was apt. After coding justifications with a Systematic Thematic Discovery approach, I found that most definitions of authenticity (relatability, vulnerability, good marketing…) reinforce the capitalist status quo; however, some – like the tendency to see profiteering as fake – suggest that “seeing through” is possible. This has notable implications for the creation of echo chambers, the formation of identity, and the definition of reality in capitalist society.
Thomas Vander Ven (Committee Chair)
Howard Welser (Committee Member)
Matthew Rosen (Committee Member)
Cynthia Anderson (Committee Member)
52 p.
Communication; Sociology
Authenticity; Culture Industry; Critical Theory; Social Media; TikTok; Frankfurt School

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Smith, S. R. (2023). The Dialectic of TikTok: Fakeness and Authenticity in the New Digital Age [Master's thesis, Ohio University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1681229782007156

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Smith, Samuel. The Dialectic of TikTok: Fakeness and Authenticity in the New Digital Age. 2023. Ohio University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1681229782007156.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Smith, Samuel. "The Dialectic of TikTok: Fakeness and Authenticity in the New Digital Age." Master's thesis, Ohio University, 2023. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1681229782007156

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

ohiou1681229782007156
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© 2023, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by Ohio University and OhioLINK.