When Algorithms Drive Your Life : TikTok, Identitas, dan Simbol Status dalam Perspektif Antropologi

Social media has brought significant changes in the way humans interact, construct meaning, and shape social identities. In Indonesia, TikTok is the most widely accessed social media platform, reaching 32% of users. TikTok is not only a medium of entertainment but also a space for the production and reproduction of values, tastes, and social standards. The TikTok algorithm presents personalized content according to user preferences, creating a continuous flow of information that is visually and repetitively consumed. From an anthropological perspective, this article aims to analyze how algorithms influence the formation of digital identity and generate new status symbols in virtual spaces. This research uses a qualitative approach with ethnographic methods and literature studies on TikTok usage practices. The results of the study show that indicators of popularity such as the number of views, followers, likes, and interaction rates become new forms of status symbols that represent users’ social influence in the digital world. From an anthropological perspective, TikTok can be understood as a new cultural space where algorithms act as structural agents that influence social practices, identity production, and symbolic hierarchies within digital society. This study emphasizes that algorithms function not only as technical technologies but also as cultural forces that shape how individuals understand themselves and their social positions within the social media ecosystem.