Anti-establishment sentiment on TikTok: Implications for understanding influence(rs) and expertise on social media
arXiv:2508.16453v2 Announce Type: replace-cross Abstract: Distrust of public serving institutions and anti-establishment views are on the rise (especially in the U.S.). As people turn to social media for information, it is imperative to understand whether and how social media environments may be contributing to distrust of institutions. In social media, content creators, influencers, and other opinion leaders often position themselves as having expertise and authority on a range of topics from health to politics, and in many cases devalue and dismiss institutional expertise to build a followin
The proliferation of social media platforms like TikTok, coupled with increasing public distrust of traditional institutions, makes understanding online influence critical at this moment.
This research provides insights into how social media environments contribute to the erosion of institutional trust, impacting societal stability and information integrity.
The study highlights the mechanism by which 'influencers' can devalue expert consensus, necessitating new approaches to public discourse and combating misinformation.
- · Social media platforms prioritizing factual content
- · Independent fact-checking organizations
- · Researchers of online behavior
- · Public institutions and expert bodies
- · Societies reliant on shared factual bases
- · Unregulated social media environments
Increased public skepticism towards official information sources and expert consensus.
Potential for further societal polarization due to fragmented and distrusted information ecosystems.
Challenges to democratic processes as public opinion becomes more susceptible to unregulated anti-establishment narratives.
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Read at arXiv cs.LG