FROM SCROLL TO MOOD: A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF EMOTIONAL CONTAGION MECHANISMS ON TIKTOK AND INSTAGRAM
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35631/IJEMP.934011Keywords:
Emotional Contagion, TikTok, Instagram, Social Media, Digital Well-Being, Algorithmic AmplificationAbstract
Emotions have evolved significantly because of the fast development of TikTok and Instagram. Both are social media platforms, which are highly visual, algorithm-driven and can cause emotional contagion through emotional content, interaction and recommender systems. Although the area has gained some attention from the research community, more scholarly research is scattered throughout various disciplines and is lacking in synthesis of how the mechanisms of emotional contagion work in these platforms. The study aims to systematically review and synthesize the literature on emotional contagion mechanisms on TikTok and Instagram, which covers key concepts, thematic relationships, influential scholarly work, and emerging research trends. The literature retrieval was carried out using Scopus AI as a supporting analytical tool in literature retrieval, literature exploration, concept mapping and identification of experts in a systematic literature review approach. To understand the emotional contagion in social media environment, summary and expanded summary analysis, concept map analysis, topic experts’ analysis, and emerging themes analysis were performed. To ensure a rigorous analysis and transparency in the interpretation and synthesis of findings, the authors have undertaken this work. The results show that emotional contagion in TikTok and Instagram is influenced by emotional mimicry, emotional synchronisation, social influence, algorithmic amplification, social comparison, and network-based interaction. In Instagram, users engage with their emotions through immersive visual curation and self-presentation, as well as through algorithmic acceleration, whereas on TikTok, users engage with their emotions through immersive short video exposure and algorithmic acceleration. Themes that emerge show that digital well-being issues, influencers and emotional contagion, algorithmic influence, and collective emotional climates are now increasingly becoming a central concern in online communities. This review makes a significant contribution to the scholarship of emotional contagion by combining a behavioural, communication and technological approach and offering recommendations for researchers, platform developers, policy makers and educators interested in creating healthier and more responsible digital spaces.
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