UNVEILING THE TIK TOK TREND: EXPLORING USAGE PATTERNS AND IMPACT ON MALAYSIAN YOUTH

Abstract

As users are more immersed with social media since the COVID-19 pandemic, TikTok is becoming one of the popular platforms for young users to attain entertainment, acquire knowledge, share information as well as interact with others. In specific, this study aims to understand the TikTok usage patterns among Malaysian youth between 18 to 25 years old and its impact to these users. The study focuses on the significant rise in TikTok usage that is driven by engaging short-form videos to ease boredom during lockdowns. This study examines both positive outcomes such as enhanced creativity and self-expression, and negative consequences such as exposure to inappropriate content and privacy concerns. In-depth interviews were conducted on 15 active TikTok users who are also content creators with a minimum of a thousand followers. Findings showed that Malaysian teens use TikTok for economic, entertainment, education, self-development, socializing, and creativity purposes. They described various usage reasons under each of the category. While the negative impacts identified include addiction and wasting time, fake information and safety issues, bullying and social issues, emotional well-being, health, and racial issues. A new finding from this study shows that TikTok is used for socializing, for example making new friends, sharing experiences, delivering messages, and expressing views and opinions. Additionally, concerns about emotional well-being and health, like effects on emotions, lowering self-esteem, and physical ailments such as headaches and back pain were noted. This study provides insights into the complex dynamics of TikTok usage among Malaysian youth, contributing to the understanding of their digital behavior and broader social media trends.