TikTok como motor de búsqueda en jóvenes: Transformación en los hábitos de consumo de información digital

Kevin Fernando Vacacela Campoverde; Cynthia Shakira Enríquez Fierro

doi:10.56200/mentor.v5i3.13205

Authors

Kevin Fernando Vacacela Campoverde Universidad Internacional del Ecuador, (UIDE). Quito-Ecuador
Cynthia Shakira Enríquez Fierro Universidad Internacional del Ecuador, (UIDE). Quito-Ecuador

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.56200/mentor.v5i3.13205

Keywords:

youth, social media, information retrieval, information literacy, media education

Abstract

In this article, we analyze how young Ecuadorians aged 18 to 22 use TikTok as a source of information. The research begins by examining the shift in digital consumption patterns, where social media is no longer used solely for entertainment but also for finding answers to questions, staying informed, learning, and following trends. We investigate the reasons why young people use TikTok to stay informed and how this takes place: the type of platform that enables this, and the criteria used to make sense of the information we have found. We conducted a survey of 402 people and three semi-structured interviews. Our findings show that TikTok has become a significant service used by young people, as it features a fast-paced, short-form audiovisual format and a highly personalized algorithm. It is not completely replacing Google, but it appears to be the first choice for information seeking among some users. We conclude that TikTok is transforming everyday access to information, but it needs to improve source verification and information literacy.

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Author Biographies

Kevin Fernando Vacacela Campoverde , Universidad Internacional del Ecuador, (UIDE). Quito-Ecuador

Universidad Internacional del Ecuador, (UIDE). Quito-Ecuador

Cynthia Shakira Enríquez Fierro , Universidad Internacional del Ecuador, (UIDE). Quito-Ecuador

Universidad Internacional del Ecuador, (UIDE). Quito-Ecuador

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