Analysis of User-Generated Content on TikTok

The Problem

TikTok enables people to easily create content within the app that can go viral. Medical testimony from patients began gaining virality after documenting their experience with the IUD placement procedure. Medical providers and professionals have also chimed in this discourse. 

As concerns around the IUD placement procedure on TikTok gain more traction, I sought to understand the discourse happening on TikTok and how this form of activism may impact the medical field. This project provides insight on the discourse taking place and how users are conducting their medical activism.

Team

• 1 UX Researcher

Study Plan

To curate my dataset, I searched up three hashtags within the app using a new profile to avoid algorithmic influence. I took around 20 videos that populated first from each hashtag for my dataset. This created a dataset of 60 total videos that varied in length. 

I developed a coding scheme that followed an abductive analysis model. This approach enables my research to easily lay out the discourse between users, even if the videos are not necessarily in direct response to another.

My Role

• UX Researcher

• Data Analyst

Timeline

• 20 weeks for data collection, analysis, and write-up of publishable research paper

Abductive Analysis of User-Generated Content

I created guiding questions and designed a coding scheme to analyze each video with an abductive analysis approach. The first set of questions aimed to establish the boundaries of the video (i.e. who, what, when, where). The second set of questions focused on the purpose and impact of the video (i.e. how, what consequences). 

This approach allowed me to establish how the use of TikTok enabled the public to become privy to private medical experiences. I also noted whether the purpose of the video was to document an IUD placement experience, provide an informal learning experience, or empower patients through a form of online advocacy. My coding scheme and analysis provided insights on the evolving narrative surrounding the IUD placement procedure and how TikTok emerged as a space to address concerns with the medical field.  

Challenges

Discerning the type of video

Videos can have many purposes and assigning one main goal or impact of the video was difficult, especially if the video had been stitched with another creator’s dialogue. Despite this difficulty, this also became a strength in the write up as I often referred to videos that were stitched by medical providers responding to patient testimony as an innovative way to engage in patient empowerment and medical activism. This, most likely, would not have been as effective if this TikTok feature did not exist. 

Deep understanding of user’s intent behind video

Though the videos and interaction happening between creators had highlighted the purpose and impact the videos had, I would have liked to learn how the creators would describe their intent behind the videos. I believe this would enable my results to better show the impact these videos may have on the medical industry when patients, providers, and users are able to easily connect with one another online. 

Next Steps

The goal of this study was to gain foundational knowledge on how users were using TikTok to conduct medical activism. I found the discourse between patients, providers, and users on TikTok allowed private medical information and patient experiences public. 

Next steps would be interviewing users who contributed to the discourse about the significance of addressing medical issues within online social media platforms like TikTok. Additionally, this study allowed me to better understand the technical aspects of creating a coding scheme and how to use it for analysis to create research insights.