Proceedings of the 4th World Conference on Media and Communication
Year: 2024
DOI:
[PDF]
Politicians on Tik Tok: The Characteristics of Politicians’ Most Popular TikTok Videos
Dr. Tal Laor
ABSTRACT:
Social media platforms act as a direct line of communication between citizens and politicians, offering a means to amplify public opinion and reflect real-time reactions to political issues, thereby capturing the collective will of the people. Politicians often leverage these platforms to advance their agendas, establish emotional connections, and bypass traditional journalism gatekeeping, engaging directly with the voting public. TikTok, a widely embraced social media platform introduced in 2016, has garnered a vast user base spanning around 150 countries globally . With a strong appeal to the younger Generation Z demographic, TikTok aligns well with their preference for concise, video-centric content. Its core feature, brief videos and presented in a continuous loop, caters primarily to entertainment, providing an outlet for escapism. While TikTok primarily hosts entertainment content, it is gradually evolving into a forum for political discourse, offering a unique opportunity for political figures to engage (or re-engage) with the younger generation. However, the platform’s playful and less formal nature may obscure its potential as a serious political arena for influencing opinions. Nevertheless, research indicates that political communication on TikTok demonstrates interactivity. This study examines TikTok usage trends among Israeli politicians, analysing popular videos from representatives of diverse political ideologies to characterize and understand their engagement and behaviour on the platform. The aim is to comprehend and define politicians’ engagement on the platform. The hypothesis suggests that gender, age, and political affiliation may predict the popularity of TikTok videos. Additionally, it is expected that politicians will intentionally incorporate TikTok’s unique characteristics into their videos to effectively convey their messages.
keywords: Social media, TikTok, Politicians, Generation Z, Popular TikTok Videos