#ThisIsMeChallenge and Music for Empowerment of Marginalized Groups on TikTok

Arantxa Vizcaíno-Verdú and Ignacio Aguaded
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Arantxa Vizcaíno-Verdú: Department of Pedagogy, University of Huelva, Spain
Ignacio Aguaded: Department of Pedagogy, University of Huelva, Spain

Media and Communication, 2022, vol. 10, issue 1, 157-172

Abstract: Media convergence is generating many collective performances on social media, where the rise of short-form videos has created a new opportunity for the empowerment of society on online platforms. In this context, TikTok appears as an application for creative expression through music clips and lip-syncs. Through the #ThisIsMeChallenge hashtag, which introduces the musical theme of The Greatest Showman film, we analyze a new online practice within messages from traditionally marginalized groups throughout individual and collective life events. In order to understand TikTok as a music venue for social empowerment, we conducted a quantitative content analysis of 100 TikTok posts under the hashtag, and an artificial intelligence sentiment analysis across 8,877 comments. The results show a wide range of performance work that addresses issues of gender, sexual orientation, racial discrimination, and other types of current hate speech. In short, we conclude that TikTok has become a platform that seems to motivate activism and empowerment of marginalized groups through music frameworks that challenge social discrimination.

Keywords: #ThisIsMeChallenge; empowerment; marginalized groups; social media; TikTok; transmedia music; video activism (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:cog:meanco:v10:y:2022:i:1:p:157-172

DOI: 10.17645/mac.v10i1.4715

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