Title: Understanding gratifications for engaging with short-video: a comparison of TikTok use in the USA and China

Authors: Jian Shi; Mohammad Ali; Fiona Chew

Addresses: S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, Syracuse University, 215 University Pl, Syracuse, New York, 13210, USA ' S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, Syracuse University, 215 University Pl, Syracuse, New York, 13210, USA ' S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, Syracuse University, 215 University Pl, Syracuse, New York, 13210, USA

Abstract: As one of the first comparative TikTok studies, we examine TikTok mobile app users' gratifications sought, gratifications obtained, and engagement in the USA and China to conceptualise a new comprehensive gratifications engagement model. This study comprises an original survey conducted in the USA (N = 148) and China (N = 150) in 2018. Our theoretical model predicted three TikTok engagement typologies among American and Chinese users, further providing evidence of the cross-cultural application of uses and gratifications theory. Overall, TikTok users tend to be more active in promoting themselves engaged in TikTok's video content than traditional short-video app (e.g., Snapchat) users. Our findings show that gratifications sought to play a more important role in the American engagement effects model than in the Chinese model. The outcomes of this study could be utilised by corporate brands to create better appeal strategies for customer engagement with the TikTok app.

Keywords: TikTok mobile app; uses and gratifications theory; UGT; survey; short-video engagement; comparison; USA; China.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMC.2024.136627

International Journal of Mobile Communications, 2024 Vol.23 No.2, pp.175 - 200

Received: 04 Jul 2021
Accepted: 23 Mar 2022
Published online: 09 Feb 2024 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article