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Cited by 0Media and Digital CommunicationDigital Economy and Work TransformationGender, Feminism, and Media

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 58 of the 58 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.

Viral dreams and digital realities: The motivations, engagement strategies, and resilience of TikTok content creators

Meryam, Rameen, Ali, Farahat·2026·Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies
DOI 10.1177/13548565261431143
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Abstract

TikTok has transformed digital content creation, offering a dynamic space where creators from diverse backgrounds can achieve visibility, build communities, and engage with audiences. This study examines TikTok content creators' motivations, engagement strategies, and resilience mechanisms. Through semi-structured interviews with 24 TikTok content creators, the research explores intrinsic and extrinsic motivational drivers such as self-expression, financial incentives, and audience validation. It further investigates engagement strategies, highlighting how creators leverage trends, optimize content, and interact with followers to maintain visibility. Additionally, the study sheds light on the psychological and social challenges content creators face, including online scrutiny, algorithmic pressures, and digital burnout. Findings reveal that while TikTok provides economic and creative opportunities, it also demands constant adaptability. Creators employ various resilience tactics, including content moderation, selective engagement, and emotional coping strategies, to sustain their digital presence. The study contributes to the growing discourse on digital labor, algorithm-driven visibility, and the evolving landscape of social media influence. By addressing gaps in existing literature, this research offers critical insights into the complexities of content creation on TikTok, and the strategies creators use to navigate its rapidly changing environment.

Overview

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Crossref · 10.1177/13548565261431143

Cites

58 of 58 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

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Citations

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Research works printed but not linked: 9

  1. Amarikwa M (2023) Social media platforms’ reckoning: the harmful impact of tikTok’s algorithm on people of color. Rich. JL & Tech 29(3): 69.
  2. Braun V, Clarke V, Weate P (2016) Using thematic analysis in sport and exercise research In: Routledge Handbook of Qualitative Research in Sport and Exercise. Routledge, pp. 213–227.
  3. Divon T, Eriksson Krutrök M (2023) TikTok(ing) Ukraine: meme-based expressions of cultural trauma on social media. In: Mortensen M, Pantti M (eds) Media and the War in Ukraine, pp. 119–136.
  4. Gröber L, Arshad W, Shanza S, et al. (2024) I chose to fight, be brave, and to deal with it: threat experiences and security practices of Pakistani content creators. In: Proceedings of the 33rd USENIX Security Symposium (SEC ‘24). USENIX Association, pp. 1–18.
  5. Hankunaseth S, Nadee W (2022) An analysis of YouTuber’s collaboration towards audience engagement. In: Proceedings of the International Conference on Electronic Business (ICEB 2022): Digitization for the next Generation (Paper 4). Bangkok. https://aisel.aisnet.org/iceb2022/4
  6. Jaramillo-Dent D, Divon T (2025) Latin American Cultures on Tiktok. Latin American Cultures on Tiktok. Curtin University. https://tiktokcultures.com/latam-report/
  7. Samermit P, Turner A, Kelley PG, et al. (2023) Millions of people are watching you: understanding the digital-safety needs and practices of creators. 32nd USENIX Security Symposium (USENIX Security 2023) 5629–5646.
  8. Singh T, Langer N, Arhin K (2024) Empowering voices: the impact of social media platform policies on amplifying engagement for marginalized groups. In: Proceedings of the 30th Americas Conference on Information Systems (AMCIS 2024). https://aisel.aisnet.org/amcis2024/soc_inclusion/social_inclusion/11
  9. Wu B, Liu CZ, Zhu H (2020) Will cooperation help content creators grow? Empirical evidence from twitch.tv. In: Proceedings of the International Conference on Information Systems (ICIS 2020): Making Digital Inclusive: Blending the Local and the Global. https://aisel.aisnet.org/icis2020/social_media/social_media/8

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Metadata

Authors
Meryam, R., & Ali, F.
Affiliations
  • University of Central Punjab (PK)
  • Beaconhouse National University (PK)
Corresponding author
Ali, Farahat
ORCID
Ali, Farahat
Venue
Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies
Publisher
SAGE Publications
Published
2026-02-27
ISSN
  • 1354-8565 (ISSN-L)
  • 1748-7382
DOI
10.1177/13548565261431143
OpenAlex
W7131790861
Semantic Scholar
f52144004a6afa2b3570f1068542fbfe66328e96
Cited by
0
References
58
FWCI
0.00
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Licence
journals.sagepub.com/page/policies/text-and-data-mining-license (tdm)
Locations
Convergence The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Communication › Media and Digital Communication
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Digital Economy and Work Transformation
  • Social Sciences › Gender Studies › Gender, Feminism, and Media
Keywords
TikTok, content creators, resilience, digital burnout, digital labor, social media influence, self-expression, financial incentives, content moderation, emotional coping

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