The Economy of Emotion: Emotional Labor and Platform Logic in TikTok Live Streams

Abstract

This study examines the phenomenon of live streaming on the TikTok platform as a complex digital practice situated at the intersection of media, psychological, social, and economic dimensions within the framework of platform capitalism and the attention economy. The primary aim of the research is to analyze how emotional interactions and social relationships established during live broadcasts are transformed into economic value and to examine the psychological and social consequences of this process for both content creators and audiences. The study adopts a qualitative comparative methodology, combining in-depth interviews with content creators of varying follower sizes and an analysis of live streams conducted on TikTok. These materials are not approached as isolated individual experiences but rather as discursive texts and performative practices that reflect the relationship between the subject, the algorithm, the audience, and digital labor itself. The findings indicate that success in live streaming depends less on content quality or authenticity than on the degree of conformity with algorithmic requirements. In particular, the intensity of emotional performance, continuous stimulation, and the repeatability and sustainability of performance emerge as key determinants of visibility and dissemination. Furthermore, emotional labor functions as a structural condition for visibility and circulation on the platform, although it is experienced unequally among content creators. The findings also reveal that relationships between content creators and audiences are reconstructed as algorithmically mediated parasocial relationships. In this context, recognition, belonging, and emotional support are transformed into commodifiable resources through the digital gifting system. Moreover, collective gaming mechanisms and the normalization of high numerical indicators reshape viewers' perceptions of monetary value and encourage impulsive behavior within highly interactive environments. In this respect, the study conceptualizes TikTok live streaming not merely as a space for communication or entertainment but as a field of digital labor in which economic, psychological, and symbolic inequalities are reproduced, drawing attention to the human costs of platform capitalism within the context of contemporary interactive media.