Subject Abject : TikTok as Playing Space in Constructing Self-Identity for Women
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24076/pikma.2026v9i1.2097Keywords:
abject, construct, female self-identity, subject, playing spaceAbstract
This article examines the role of TikTok as a space for play in relation to the formation of female identity, focusing on the concepts of the "subject" and the "abject" inspired by the thought of Julia Kristeva. TikTok is an increasingly popular social media platform—serving not only as a medium for creative expression but also as a dynamic space where women negotiate, construct, and deconstruct their identities through the content they produce and consume. This article employs a netnographic method to analyze digital cultural practices on TikTok. Observations focused on the interactions, content creation, and responses of female users regarding content related to self-identity. Data were collected through participant observation of platform activities, as well as the analysis of video content and user comments, to understand the dynamics of identity formation within a digital context. The research findings indicate that TikTok functions as a liminal playing space where the boundaries between the "subject" and the "abject" become fluid. Female self-identity is constructed through a negotiation between freedom and marginalization in the digital space; simultaneously, agency, resistance, and platform constraints intersect to shape self-expression and social validation.
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