Constructing hybrid identity on TikTok: A virtual ethnographic study of Indonesian influencers in Japan
Keywords:
Digital diaspora, Identity negotiation, Influencers, TikTok, Virtual ethnographyAbstract
This study analyzes the phenomenon of influencers’ diaspora in Indonesia and Japan, using a virtual ethnographic approach to understand how influencers’ digital identities are formed and received by audiences. This framework guides the author in exploring four levels: media space, media documents, media objects, and media experience. The data included videos and comments discussing cultural interaction and the Indonesian and Japanese languages, in the time frame 2024-2025. The findings reveal that both influencers construct hybrid cultural spaces on TikTok that foster ongoing dialogue between Indonesian and Japanese audiences. Through symbolic visuals, humor, and bilingual narratives, present adaptive identity performances that reflect both personal and collective experiences. Taste ethnographic show engagement with cultural values and shared identity, indicating the emergence of a digital “third space” for intercultural exchange.
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