TikTok Usage in Saudi Arabia: A Study of Videos From a Generational Point of View - Generation X, Y, and Z

Ruqayya Soli Haji Abdulrahman and Sophia Alim
Additional contact information
Ruqayya Soli Haji Abdulrahman: Taibah University, Saudi Arabia
Sophia Alim: Independent Researcher, UK

International Journal of E-Adoption (IJEA), 2025, vol. 17, issue 1, 1-30

Abstract: TikTok's rising popularity among Saudi youth calls for deeper insight into how content is perceived across generations. This study focuses on the top 20 Saudi TikTok influencers as of June 2023, analyzing metadata from 15,526 videos and 5,159 comments. Over 500 videos were reviewed, with 183 closely examined across Generation X, Generation Y, and Generation Z to explore differing interpretations and emotional responses. English-language sentiment analysis of comments revealed that humorous and talent-based videos, particularly pranks, were most popular, while music and lip-sync content drew higher engagement. The study concluded that Generation Z participants preferred fun and entertaining video content, whereas Generation X participants tended to be more critical of content and content creators. Cultural themes were especially impactful for younger viewers. Statistical analysis highlighted that emotional responses varied significantly by generation, highlighting differences in emotional expression and regulation. Generation Y participants reported significantly higher levels of joy and trust compared to the other generations, while Generation Z participants exhibited significantly more disgust in their responses.

Date: 2025
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://services.igi-global.com/resolvedoi/resolve.aspx?doi=10.4018/IJEA.386527 (application/pdf)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:igg:jea000:v:17:y:2025:i:1:p:1-30

Access Statistics for this article

International Journal of E-Adoption (IJEA) is currently edited by Hayden Wimmer

More articles in International Journal of E-Adoption (IJEA) from IGI Global Scientific Publishing
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Journal Editor ().