METAMORFOSE NO DIGITAL: A relação entre TikTok e adolescência

Abstract

We present a reflection on digital social media, especially TikTok, which in 2021 reached 1 billion users, with Brazil being the third country that consumes this social media the most, with 99 million followers. These data point to the need to investigate, especially in Psychology, the repercussions caused in the subject, especially the adolescent, from the use of this social media. From this perspective, we start from the hypothesis that TikTok contributes to identity transformations, circulation of digital content and consumption. For theoretical reflection, we chose among the theorists, Stuart Hall (2020), Antônio Costa Ciampa (1989), Erik Erikson (1987), Zygmunt Bauman (2005) and Raquel Recuero (2020). Thus, we aim to develop an analysis of the repercussions on identities caused using TikTok among adolescents on the island of São Luís do Maranhão. In addition to the main objective, three steps were necessary to develop the research: a) describe how TikTok works; b) characterize the use of social media by adolescents; and c) understand the adolescent's perception of the use of social media. Therefore, to achieve the purposes of this research, we spoke with the authors and developed a qualitative approach research, using, as data collection instruments, a sociocultural questionnaire and semi-structured interview – with the aim of understanding perceptions about the use of social media. We present a non-probabilistic sample that was achieved using the snowball methodology (an approach where those selected invite new participants from their network of friends and acquaintances). For data analysis, we used the circuit of culture proposed by Paul Du Gay et al. (1997), which led us to reflect on the production and circulation of meanings from cultural artefacts. As a result, we noticed that TikTok influences adolescents in all the processes that make up the circuit of culture (representation, identity, consumption, regulation and production), especially in identity, since when using this social media, the adolescent identifies with content found on TikTok, altering or generating new social practices and identities. In summary, we observe that this social media has repercussions in various areas of life – social, cultural, cognitive, psychological and physical – of its user and in his constitution of identity, making it necessary for Psychology to focus its studies on a better understanding and on carrying out a non-alienated approach to contemporary phenomena.