TikTok: an exploratory study of young adults’ uses and gratifications
Abstract
TikTok is a short-form video focused social media app with over 80 million active users in the United States. The current study aimed to understand young adult TikTok users’ and non-users’ (n = 247) motivations (to use or not use), experiences, and perceptions related to TikTok. In total, 52% of young adults reported using TikTok. Through qualitative content analysis procedures, three themes representing participants’ experiences with TikTok were identified: (1) personal and relational amusement, (2) deterring qualities of TikTok, and (3) short videos with purpose. Results are discussed in relation to Uses and Gratifications theory and TikTok was found to meet realism, coolness, agency-enhancement, community building, bandwagon, interactivity, browsing/variety seeking, and play/fun gratifications. In terms of failed gratifications for past-users and non-users, TikTok was perceived to be too juvenile/cringey and providing too much (cyberbullying) or not enough agency (privacy and censorship).
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Vaterlaus and Winter (2021) found that active TikTok users in the USA were mostly motivated by realism, coolness, agency-enhancement, community building, bandwagon, interactivity, browsing/variety seeking, and play/fun.
“Those who identified as active users were mostly motivated by: realism, coolness, agency-enhancement, community building, bandwagon, interactivity, browsing/variety seeking, and play/fun gratifications.”
From Applying Uses and Gratifications Theory to TikTok: A systematic literature review of users' motivations (2025) · cites this paper as Vaterlaus and Winter (2021)
Cites
Three Approaches to Qualitative Content Analysis
Hsieh, H.-F., & Shannon, S. E. (2005) · Qualitative Health Research · doi:10.1177/1049732305276687 · Cited by 44,601 · see citing works
Uses and Gratifications Research
Katz, E., Blumler, J. G., & Gurevitch, M. (1973) · Public Opinion Quarterly · doi:10.1086/268109 · Cited by 4,012 · cited 1× · see citing works
“Uses and Gratifications theory (U&G) assumes that media users are goal oriented, active, and purposive in their selection of media (Katz et al., 1973).”
Raacke, J., & Bonds-Raacke, J. (2008) · CyberPsychology & Behavior · doi:10.1089/cpb.2007.0056 · Cited by 1,577 · cited 12× · see citing works
“…reportedly used for entertainment purposes (Mull & Lee, 2014; Park & Lee, 2014; Vaterlaus, 2017) and MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, and Snapchat were used to meet social connection and relational maintenance needs (Chen, 2011; Park & Lee, 2014; Raacke & Bonds-Raacke, 2008; Vaterlaus et al., 2016).”
InfluentialUses and Grats 2.0: New Gratifications for New Media
Sundar, S. S., & Limperos, A. M. (2013) · Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media · doi:10.1080/08838151.2013.845827 · Cited by 1,070 · see citing works
On the psychology of TikTok use: a first glimpse from empirical findings
Montag, C., Yang, H., & Elhai, J. D. (2021) · Frontiers in Public Health · doi:10.3389/fpubh.2021.641673 · Cited by 559 · see citing works
Omar, B., & Dequan, W. (2020) · International Journal of Interactive Mobile Technologies (iJIM) · doi:10.3991/ijim.v14i04.12429 · Cited by 493 · cited 9× · see citing works
“…platforms (Mull & Lee, 2014; Park & Lee, 2014; Vaterlaus, 2017; Yarosh et al., 2016) and in-line with Chinese TikTok users’ reports (Lu & Lu, 2019; Omar & Dequan, 2020), TikTok was used by young adults for entertainment or escapism purposes, and they found it to be an enjoyable and fun way to…”
InfluentialUses and gratifications sought by pre-adolescent and adolescent TikTok consumers
Bucknell Bossen, C., & Kottasz, R. (2020) · Young Consumers · doi:10.1108/yc-07-2020-1186 · Cited by 305 · see citing works
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Hewei, T. (2022) · PLOS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0273968 · Cited by 39 · see citing works
Short video marketing strategy: evidence from successful entrepreneurs on TikTok
Chen, H., Ma, D., & Sharma, B. (2024) · Journal of Research in Marketing and Entrepreneurship · doi:10.1108/jrme-11-2022-0134 · Cited by 35 · see citing works
Balcı, Ş., Akgül, T. E., & Astam, F. K. (2024) · Erciyes İletişim Dergisi · doi:10.17680/erciyesiletisim.1442074 · Cited by 9 · see citing works
Krstić, J., & Domazet, I. (2025) · Marketing · doi:10.5937/mkng2504265k
- Authors
- Vaterlaus, J. M., & Winter, M.
- Affiliations
- Montana State University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Vaterlaus, J. Mitchell
- Venue
- The Social Science Journal
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2021-09-13
- Volume
- 62
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 613-632
- ISSN
- 0362-3319 (ISSN-L)
- 1873-5355
- OpenAlex
- W3200821101
- Cited by
- 138
- References
- 7
- Citations by year
- 2026: 26 · 2025: 43 · 2024: 32 · 2023: 26 · 2022: 11
- FWCI
- 7.36
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- The Social Science Journal (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Computer Networks and Communications › Media and Digital Communication
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Impact of Technology on Adolescents
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Digital Marketing and Social Media
- Keywords
- TikTok, uses and gratifications theory, young adults, short-form video, social media use, user motivation, non-users, cyberbullying, privacy, censorship, agency, community building
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