Tales of Visibility in TikTok: The Algorithmic Imaginary and Digital Skills in Young Users

TikTok’s algorithm (as well as many others) is not transparent to its users. Moreover, a user should be well aware of the algorithm’s logic to “train” it in order to show results out of the “niches” in which the platform tends to collocate its users and their contents. Therefore, also to gain visibility, or to elude the attentive scrutiny the algorithm performs, a user should develop technical knowledge. This chapter analyses the algorithmic practices enacted by young users (13–19) on TikTok, following the online ethnographic approach. This method enabled the authors to understand in-depth how young users (a) learn about the algorithm, (b) develop or employ digital skills which enable them to and (c) perform leverage tactics in response to the platform’s logic. These dimensions were then qualitatively assessed, to understand how peculiar digital skills (social interaction skills, content creation skills and ethical behaviour online) are employed in relation to the algorithmic imagery. The discussion takes place, within the chapter, through the analysis of three case studies: #traumatok, Breonna Taylor trend and teenagers’ practices on LIVE streaming.