Between Image and Sound: How TikTok Algorithms Enhance Political Polarization Among Palestinian Youth: The Context of the Aggression on Gaza (2023–2025)

Abstract

This research discusses the role TikTok algorithms play in fostering political polarization among Palestinian youth in the context of the Israeli occupation's aggression on the Gaza Strip since October 2023. The war environment has been a powerful impetus for Palestinian youth activism on TikTok, both in communicating the suffering of the Palestinian people to the world and in the internal Palestinian political debate. The research used three research tools: direct observation, in-depth personal interviews, and objective analysis of a sample of live videos with political content on TikTok. Three theories were also used in the research: the spiral of silence theory, the social identity theory, and the digital mobilization theory.The research found that TikTok algorithms contribute to fostering political polarization among Palestinian youth and deepening the Palestinian divide. It also found that the algorithms transform the platform into a visual arena for confrontation between Palestinian activists themselves, deepening the phenomenon of echo chambers and fostering a withdrawal into digital social identities for both sides of the polarization among Palestinian youth on the platform. The study also found that activists themselves practice forms of symbolic oppression against one another, utilizing algorithmic features and self-initiated actions. The study recommends conducting further studies with a broader sample and age groups different from the age group targeted for this study, to gain a deeper understanding of the role of digital platforms and their algorithms in managing the digital conflict with the occupation, while simultaneously expanding the space for dialogue to mitigate the internal political polarization among Palestinians in general.