Although research on Tik Tok is scarce due to it being such a recent phenomenon, there is ample literature on social media and its role in facilitating learning.

 

For example, Greenhow and Lewin in their article, “Social media and education: reconceptualizing the boundaries of formal and informal learning,” argue that the line between informal and formal education is becoming blurred and that informal education via social media may be a valuable supplement to education within the classroom. Furthermore, they encourage educational researchers to withhold their judgment about education on social media, stating that these “third spaces” between home and school may actually contribute to student’s success as “educated and fully contributing societal members.”

 

Thomas and Brown in “A New Culture of Learning: Cultivating the Imagination for a World of Constant Change,” argue that learning employs play and “creates a context in which information, ideas and passions grow.” They point to the internet and social media apps as platforms that encourage play and subsequently learning. For example, they show how by “‘googling’ the error,” a coder is able to tap into a large network composed of other coders and fix his mistakes driven by his own curiosity and detective skills. They further argue that education is a process that changes with time, and therefore educators are encouraged to make use of new modes of learning rather than sticking with traditional approaches.

 

Jung and Zhou write one of the few articles focused specifically on Tik Tok called “Learning and Sharing Creative Skills with Short Videos: A Case Study of User Behavior in TikTok and Bilibili,” in which they say that Tik Tok is appealing to users because of the short length of the videos, saying that they are “likely to succeed in providing a better knowledge-obtaining experience for users by improving their learning attitude, effectiveness, and engagement.” They argue that Tik Tokers are also drawn to the style of education available on Tik Tok because the skills they learn are things they can directly apply to their daily lives.

 

Looking at the role of educators, there have been several articles written about entrepreneurship and branding oneself on social media. In her article, “#Familygoals: Family Influencers, Calibrated Amateurism, and Justifying Young Digital Labor,” Crystal Abidin writes about social media influencers and their ability to craft an online identity for themselves. More than a hobby, influencers engage in “digital labor” by putting effort into performing a particular identity and reaping the financial rewards. Abidin introduces the concept of “calibrated amateurism,” the intentional crafting of an amateur aesthetic in one’s video in the hopes of appearing authentic and relatable. Gershon, in the article “Selling Yourself in the United States,” argues that workers in the United States today are expected to present themselves less like a worker, and more like a coherent brand. This includes making use of social media and “orchestrating a single self-presentation across a personal website.”