Analysis of Sustainable Fashion through Social Media: TikTok Case

Abstract

The increasing popularity of the social media platform TikTok is ushering in a new phase in its e-commerce, as it has not only influenced users' social behaviors but also their purchasing intentions. This network's influence has impacted the perception of fashion subcultures among Generation Z users, with fast fashion being the most questioned. Thus, we pose the following question: How do sustainable fashion users interact on social media? To address this issue, we have decided to focus on the influence of the current leading social network, TikTok. This analysis is based on the methodology applied by Einsle et al. (2024), using Kruskal-Wallis tests, Mann–Whitney U-tests, and Dunn's Bonferroni post hoc test. The interaction of videos is analyzed considering factors such as duration, subtitles, audio content, emojis, and hashtags. Based on the results, interactions such as Likes (p=0.026), Comments (p=0.013), and Views (p=0.026) do not present homogeneous outcomes, and there is a significant difference related to the categories of the videos. The case of audio content (p=0.173) in videos narrated by creators shows no significant difference. Thus, the hypothesis H3, which proposes that user interaction differs between videos containing spoken language or music, is accepted.