Date of Award

Spring 2025

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

Communication & Theatre Arts

Program/Concentration

Lifespan and Digital Communication

Committee Director

Kate G. Mattingly

Committee Member

Myles McNutt

Committee Member

Annemarie Navar-Gill

Abstract

This thesis uses qualitative methods to study and analyze how TikTok users and the platform’s algorithm work together to redefine girlhood. By examining individual posts and the origins of the trends that they belong to, I will show why some users reject this new definition, as others have embraced it, and what this means for the future of girlhood. This research will complicate the question of what it means to be a girl on the Internet and the challenges that accompany this experience. Ultimately, I expand on the study of gender roles and the impact of social media as an agent of gender and racial socialization.

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DOI

10.25777/qnd8-x263

ISBN

9798280751828

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