Research Symposium

BIO

Jad Dargam is an Information Technology honors student and research assistant at Florida State University's School of Information. He is also pursuing a minor in Innovation and has been accepted to the BSIT/MSIT combined pathway to begin taking graduate level coursework. In Spring 2025, Jad interned at the FSU Office of Digital Learning and served on the College of Communication and Information's Student Leadership Council. He previously presented at the 2025 Florida Undergraduate Research Conference.

Surveying the Scroll: A Mixed-Methods Study of College Students’ TikTok Privacy Literacy

Abstract

TikTok continues to be one of the most popular social media platforms amongst college students, even as policymakers and industry experts continue to highlight privacy concerns with how it collects, stores, and uses user data. This includes a total ban of the platform from public universities in the state of Florida. As the platform engrains itself into daily life for most college students, it is important to assess how undergraduate students comprehend and manage privacy features, approve of university policy regarding TikTok and how their actions are influenced by familial and social beliefs.

This study aims to do so by using a mixed-methods approach that incorporates a quantitative survey and qualitative interviews. Questions will measure students’ usage of TikTok, their own privacy concerns, and behaviors on the platform. This data will be examined in the context of social and cultural norms that the participants provide in order to better understand how user experience is shaped on experience and knowledge.

The findings of this study will help researchers better understand how college students dictate their actions on TikTok through the perceived value of their privacy and data. It will also evaluate the effectiveness of institutional polices that aim to block TikTok. A preliminary study conducted by the principal investigator has shown limited change in college students’ behavior and beliefs through prohibiting TikTok usage on campus. The final study will add to the conversation regarding how humans interact with technology that has the potential to expose personal information and create safety concerns.

Keywords: TikTok, Privacy, Information Literacy