A TikTok Curriculum of the Transition to High School

• In Event: Working Toward Truth and Alongside Youth in Curriculum Studies

Abstract

Students entering high school have numerous sources to turn to when trying to understand what being in high school will be like: teachers, counselors, siblings, or community members. Students encounter depictions of high school in popular media that also serve to create an idea of what high school might be like. Youth are increasingly turning to social media, especially the social video platform Tik Tok. What do youth encounter when watching Tik Toks about high school? What do youth depict when they choose to create content around life in high school? What kind of transition into high school might students expect based on these representations? In short, what is Tik Tok’s curriculum of the transition to high school?

Author

• James Shanahan, Teachers College, Columbia University
  Presenting Author