The Influence of Social Media (TikTok) on Student Character Building (A Case Study at SMKN 1 Dampal Selatan)

Abstract

Today's social media platforms contain a dichotomy in their impact, with potential for both constructive and detrimental consequences, particularly within the context of student engagement. On one hand, social media serves as a tool through which students can harness their latent potential, yet on the other, it harbors the potential to erode their character contingent upon its usage. A prevailing reality is that nearly all students have installed the TikTok application in their smartphone, a platform often accused of squandering valuable leisure hours. The paramount concern arises when students employ TikTok for unproductive activities, for example by aimlessly scrolling through non-educational video content. It is important to acknowledge that the inherent nature of applications is not inherently negative; rather, their impact is contingent upon the nature of the content consumed. In this case the parents of students, teachers and content creators on the TikTok application play a pivotal role in limiting and providing educational content. The purpose of this article is to find out how social media, especially the TikTok application, influences character education, as well as the positive and negative impacts of the TikTok application on students at SMK Negeri 1 Dampal Selatan.