Viral dreams and digital realities: The motivations, engagement strategies, and resilience of TikTok content creators

TikTok has transformed digital content creation, offering a dynamic space where creators from diverse backgrounds can achieve visibility, build communities, and engage with audiences. This study examines TikTok content creators' motivations, engagement strategies, and resilience mechanisms. Through semi-structured interviews with 24 TikTok content creators, the research explores intrinsic and extrinsic motivational drivers such as self-expression, financial incentives, and audience validation. It further investigates engagement strategies, highlighting how creators leverage trends, optimize content, and interact with followers to maintain visibility. Additionally, the study sheds light on the psychological and social challenges content creators face, including online scrutiny, algorithmic pressures, and digital burnout. Findings reveal that while TikTok provides economic and creative opportunities, it also demands constant adaptability. Creators employ various resilience tactics, including content moderation, selective engagement, and emotional coping strategies, to sustain their digital presence. The study contributes to the growing discourse on digital labor, algorithm-driven visibility, and the evolving landscape of social media influence. By addressing gaps in existing literature, this research offers critical insights into the complexities of content creation on TikTok, and the strategies creators use to navigate its rapidly changing environment.