Audiovisual Narratives on Tik Tok: New Challenges for Public Communication of Science and Technology

Abstract

This work analyses the presence and management New modalities of mass communication through social networks represent a major challenge for the public communication of science and technology. Science dissemination developed through media such as TV, cinema, print media and books, platforms with substantially different characteristics to those of today’s digital media. The need to reach different target audiences, especially younger ones, raises different questions about the potential of the different social networks in relation to the objectives of disseminating knowledge, arousing interest and involving the public in the most relevant science and technology issues. The case of the social network Tik Tok is of particular interest, due to its clear audiovisual character, its accelerated pace and its extensive penetration within the youngest age group. For this research, we analysed the narratological resources of 200 audiovisual pieces belonging to 10 of the most globally popular scientific dissemination accounts on Tik Tok. Our analysis seeks to describe the profiles and narrative resources that characterise science dissemination on this social network. Furthermore, this description reveals that, although Tik Tok is not presented as the ideal medium for the development of complex content, its potential as an effective tool for public dissemination and engagement cannot be overlooked.