The Impact of TikTok’s Information Cocoon on Negative Emotions in Different Age Groups

Journalism and Communication, University of New South Wales, Kensington Campus, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia

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Abstract

The ongoing study investigates the impact of TikTok’s “info cocoon,” an algorithm-driven feature, on the negative emotions experienced in different generations. Grounded on theories underpinning filter bubbles, “algorithmic culture,” and “generational identity,” the study investigated the implications of TikTok’s recommendation algorithm on different emotions for different generations. Applying the case study research method, an indepth investigation was made on exemplars from the following generation groups: adolescents, young people, and elderly audiences in the Western environment and mainland China ecosystem, respectively. The findings from the study made it clear that vulnerable individuals, with a particular concern for academic-related anxiety and body image, are mainly affected by political divisiveness and economic insecurity, but also senior adults who feel fear and distrust, mainly because health-related misinformation is included in sensationalised content. Of much more concern is the position played by the information cocoon in each group on TikTok: it is an amplifier for affectively rich information, thus being an element in the construction of “affective echo chambers,” in which exposure is reduced to largely negative experiences. The research argues that these implications serve only to increase intergenerational rifts in addition to trust in institutions, thereby evidencing the commoditization of emotional vulnerability in the cultural construction of digital technology.