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Digital Anthropology:
Ethnology of Tiktok, and Anthropology of Animation and Cartoon
Analysis

NUST Business School

National University of Sciences & Technology

Date of Submission: Sunday, February 6, 2022

Class: BBA 2k21 (A)
Submitted to: Dr. Zujaja Wahaj

Submited by:
Farah Yousaf 369736
Khuraim Bajwa 392248
Muhammad Hashir Nadeem Siddiqui 392500
Rameen Arsalan 371703
Wajeeha Sajjad 377958
Waleed Haider 381381

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Abstract
This paper is an analysis of Tiktok, and Cartoons and Animations and how these
are useful for digital anthropologists in contemporary times. TikTok is being used
by the indigenous people to show and promote their culture. It provides a voice
to the minority and is accessible because there is no language barrier or literacy
hurdle. This paper shows how Pakistan can use the app in the same way to
promote its religious and cultural values. Furthermore, TikTok uses a specialized
algorithm to show videos to their audience which will match their personality and
lifestyle. So, this algorithm is very useful for the marketing and advertising
industries. This paper also shows how TikTok can be used for marketing in
Pakistan. Similarly, Cartoons and animations play a great role in reflecting the
values of a society. This paper discusses in detail the progression of graphics and
animations industry in different countries and how Pakistan can also use Cartoons
as a means to promote their cultural values and improve the soft image of the
country.

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Ethnology of TikTok
Contents Page No
 Introduction 3
 Method Used 3
 Key findings 3
 Examples demonstrating the applicability of the concepts 4
 Analysis 6
 Conclusion 7

Introduction
TikTok is a social media app that allows people to create, share, and consume
content in the form of short videos. The videos can be as long as 3 minutes only.
Tiktok was first launched in September 2016, but it reached a new peak of success
in Quarantine in 2020. Now TikTok has surpassed more than 2 billion downloads
worldwide with more than 800 million active users. In this report we discuss how
TikTok can be used in this digital age for Marketing and Advertising purposes as
well as for Culture Promotion and Language Preservation.

Method Used: (Google)

TikTok, Marketing through Tiktok, Native Culture on Tiktok, Digital Ethnography of
Tiktok.

Key Findings
 Diversity: Tiktok is used for sharing a variety of videos ranging from teens
dancing to the latest music; to people coordinating BLM protests. The type
of videos you come across depends on your previous interactions on this
app. After only spending 10 minutes on the app, you begin to see your
personality reflected on the videos presented on your FYP “For You Page”.
This FYP is designed through a specialized algorithm.
 Ethnographic Market Research: Using digital ethnography, and methods
such as Ethnographic Market Research (ERM), companies can collect
information about the type of content people watch, the problems they
face, the type of customers they are, their purchasing patterns,
preferences, etc. After analyzing this information, marketing on Tik Tok can
be done according to the niche of people that the company wants to target.

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 Accessibility: There is no class barrier on tiktok. For Tiktok, almost all of the
content is filmed with mobile phones. Even the most famous influencers on
this app film themselves dancing in their bathrooms with poor lighting. This
minimal focus on aesthetics gives Tiktok an advantage over Instagram and
Twitter. Unlike YouTube, people have no expectations of high standard
camera work and great quality of content.
 Literacy and Language Barrier: Tiktok has a high advantage over Twitter,
Instagram, Facebook and YouTube that Language is not a hurdle. A person
does not have to be literate to use this app. While English is still the majorly
used language on this app, a person’s “For You” page mostly shows videos
in their local language.
 Culture Promotion: Tiktok is a great platform to share and preserve one’s
culture in contemporary times. Language, traditions, and specific culture
practices can be shared on tiktok and it will reach the targeted audience.
TikTok is a powerful tool for fostering exposure to different points of view
and new information.
Thus, we believe that TikTok is an excellent platform for Digital Anthropologists in
contemporary times.

Examples
In this report we shall discuss two aspects in which digital anthropology of TikTok
is useful.
1. Marketing and Advertisement
2. Culture Promotion
Marketing and Advertisement
Using digital ethnography, and methods such as Ethnographic Market Research
(ERM), companies can collect information about the type of content people
watch, the problems they face, the type of customers they are, their purchasing
patterns, preferences, etc. (Shear) After analyzing this information, marketing on
Tik Tok can be done according to the niche of people that the company wants to
target. For example, globally celebrities and influencers have a huge following of
their own. Brands know that the mindset of people is such that if they see their
favorite celebrity/influencer using a product, chances are that they will use it too.
So, what brands do is feature celebrities in their ads and marketing. And
generally, this does result in a spike in their sales.
Examples of global brands using TikTok for advertisement through digital
anthropology:

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 Dunkin’ was one of the first brands to employ influencer marketing on the
platform by partnering with Tiktok megastar Charlie D’Amelio. Together,
they launched several new products, and then used TikTok to collaborate
on several videos and market the product. After posting content about this
partnership, Dunkin’ saw a 20% sales boost for all of their coffee’s. (Bump)
 Chipotle uses TikTok to showcase behind the scenes footage in real
Chipotle kitchens. This provides the consumer with a personable
connection to the brand and is also a creative way to spread brand
awareness. (Bump)
 Gymshark, a fitness apparel brand, uses TikTok not only to promote their
products, but also to provide entertainment through funny videos and
memes, relatable situations, and short workout videos. This type of content
is specifically catered to a niche of gym going people, based on information
that is gathered about them through ethnographic research.

Culture Preservation

TikTok is a great platform for Culture sharing because it is easily available for all
irrespective of their origins. It reaches the target audience through the algorithm
and can be preserved.
Tiktok is being used by Indigenous Youth to share their language, culture,
traditions, and experiences with others. As of January 2022, the hashtag “Native
Tiktok” has 1.3 billion views on tiktok.
Theland Kicknosway, 18 years in age, shared his experience as the first generation
of indigenous people being raised at homes. He posted a video of braiding his
hair, and how it is a symbol of strength, wisdom and reflect Indigenous identity.
Another TikToker, James Jones, a performer, artist and cultural educator from
Alberta, Canada, uses his account to putting a "cultural spin" on trending content.
Jones dressed in traditional regalia and showcased hoop dancing to the trending
sound “Blinding Lights” in his first viral video.
In several videos, Jones explained that the hoop dance is used to tell
stories by using the teachings of earth, and it is done for those in need
of healing.

Analysis in Pakistani Context

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TikTok has taken the world by storm and much of its unprecedented success,
especially in many third world countries, can be attributed to a multitude of
prominent and underlying factors. Pakistan has emerged as a rather loyal host to
Tik Tok’s popularity inbound, with an estimated 20 million active monthly
followers, as reported by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), in
2021. This Chinese social media platform does have much in common with its
contemporary rival platforms like YouTube but has managed to integrate with the
rural communities of Pakistan much more effectively.
Unlike most social media sites, TikTok hardly requires any literary strengths to be
used to its full potential. Coupled with the acceptance of amateur, homemade
videos automatically makes it easily accessible by most of the lower class, rural
communities and can be used as an amazing opportunity for them to connect
with the latest trends, shed light on many socio-cultural and political issues, bring
about new talent and even as a major source of income and as a marketing and
advertisement tool for large scale companies and small startups.
Zeeshan Akram, an influencer and farmer who has over 193,000 followers, has
enjoyed enormous popularity by filming himself sowing rice and milking cows.
Tauqeer Abbas, a daily wage laborer, has made a prominent following by sharing
snippets of his village life. Both have highlighted many unappreciated and hidden
socio-cultural practices of rural areas through Tik Tok.
Pakistan is a vastly religious society. Short lectures, life advice, accurate Islamic
practices and traditions can be shared via Tik Tok to an eager and unprivileged
class of the country. A great example is Usman Nasim, a popular religious scholar
with more than 7 million followers who’s done just that.
In terms of potential, many companies and businesses can use Ethnographic
Market Research (ERM) to understand the consumer lifestyle, trends, celebrity
following, traditions etc. both at an urban and rural level and accordingly market
their services and/or products. Some examples include Tecno Mobile, Haier which
has collaborated with major Pakistani Tik Tok stars like Jannat Mirza, and
Kashee’s Beauty Salon which has garnered a large female following, focusing on
the appealing bridal makeup concept, across Pakistan.

Conclusion

Tiktok is a great platform for Pakistanis due to its easy accessibility, diversity, easy
to understand instructions, personalized for-you-page and no language or

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character limit. This app can be used to promote our religious and cultural values
and improve the soft power of the country. Its use for marketing and advertising
purposes can help many small businesses.
However, the same appealing qualities of Tik Tok act as a source of controversy as
well. In a mostly conservative and patriarchal society, much of the content on Tik
Tok has faced severe criticism on grounds of being ‘vulgar’ and ‘unislamic’, so
much, so that it has been banned by the government of Pakistan no less than 4
times. It’s essential to observe the social and cultural boundaries that hinder the
applicability of Tik Tok and the future of this platform’s role in Pakistani society.
Pakistani Government should regulate the use of Tiktok and the type of content
posted and instead of just straight up banning the app.

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Anthropology of Animation and Cartoon Analysis

Contents Page No
 Introduction 8
 Method Used 8
 Key findings 8
 Examples demonstrating the applicability of the concepts 9
 Analysis 11
 Conclusion 12

Introduction:
In the recent technological era, television has become a major component of a
child’s upbringing. This is mainly because TV grabs attention due to its multi-
colored moving pictures and contemporary animation. Cartoons and animation
help children form world views and ideas, which can morph into permanent
behavior patterns. Moreover, graphics is an important part of the entertainment
industry. In 2018, the global animation market was worth 259 billion U.S. dollars.
This report discusses how the animation and graphics industry has been on the
rise. With the introduction of these modern technologies, the film industry is
using it to effectively portray and reflect society thereby influencing the soft
power channels.

Key Words (Google):

Cultural promotion through cartoons, Cultural animations, Anthropology of
Animations, Anthropology of anime industry, Visual anthropology of comics,
Digital anthropology and animation industry

Key findings:
1. Cartoons act as important agents of cultural transmission. From an
anthropological point of view, cartoons can very easily change, remove or
add values and practices to the next generation of people that were not
present in the previous generation.

2. Anthropology could provide the animation industry with a new point of

view and critical models to lead it towards further perfection. The concept
of animation is one model for human action in the world, in the hopes that
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animations provide some of the kinds of insights that the notion of

performance has provided across academic disciplines.

3. It is possible for us to concede the global outcomes of the spread of digital

technology and the singularity of local techno-cultures. Setting up
animation as a platform for the comparative study of how human beings
hammer out the relationship between self and world, both includes
projects of intellectual history and should itself be subjected to cultural and
historical theorization.

4. Not only motion films but also drawn comics are a prominent industry with
is diverse range of target audience and varieties of genres fascinating all
age groups. These comics are culturally diverse, and every country has their
own signature comics and animations. For instance, the Japanese Mangas,
Korean webtoons and manhwas, and Chinese manhuas that are unique
representatives of their traditions, cultures and their ways of life which are
not only available in hard copies but are also uploaded on many websites
making them more accessible and are a prominent industry. Digital
anthropologists have recently shifted their focus towards this matter as
these art forms are spreading in abundance on the internet and it has
piqued their interest in how people gravitate towards pirated sites to get
these comics faster and free.

We believe that cartoons and animations are an excellent resource for digital
anthropologists in contemporary times.

Examples:
1. Cultural Promotion through Cartoons
2. Promotion of Animation and graphics industry

1. Cultural Promotion through Cartoons

Cartoons and animated movies can be great assets of cultural
representation and can help to enhance the soft power of a country. An example
of this is the animated film “Coco” by Disney. The story follows 12-year-old
Miguel, a Mexican boy who yearns to play music and is met with harsh backlash
from his family members. His beliefs and desires don’t line up with the traditional
values of his family. This film invoked other cultural aspects of Mexico in the film
as it is set around “Día de los Muertos” also known as “the Day of the Dead” in

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Mexican folklore. Apart from this, the language used, culture-specific meals,
rituals and values (respect for elder members of the family which is not typically
seen in white-centric films) are all examples of good cultural representation. This
led to what is dubbed as the “Coco effect”, which called for more cultural
representation in films made for people of young age. Coco went on to make
$801.7 million in ticket sales.
Similarly, another example is “the 99”, which is the first comic book and cartoon
series to feature Muslim characters. It was created by a Kuwaiti who wanted to
represent Islamic values and culture in a relatable way. The stars are a group of
teen and adult superheroes inspired by the 99 virtues of Allah, which are
universal values like strength, courage, and wisdom. It is distributed across 70
countries, including Netflix in the U.S.

2. Promotion of Animation and graphics industry

The representation of societies and cultures through animations has been
evident over the last few decades. In 1995, the first 3D animated movie "Toy
Story" took the world by storm and made 3 billion worldwide. Later in 2009, the
first 3D movie to use CGI graphics "Avatar" made around 1-2.5 billion US dollars.
Anthropology could provide the animation industry with a new point of view and
critical models to lead it towards further perfection. Let us look at how some
countries across the globe have been influenced by these industries.

JAPAN
Anime is hand drawn written animation with its origin in Japan which has become
widely popular worldwide. Several visual anthropologists have studied
cinematography, characterization and other techniques and diverse styles used in
the anime industry and how the earliest animations date to 1917. It can
oftentimes touch the spheres of economic anthropology as studios work together
to produce complex and costly anime projects which can cost between
US$100,000 and US$300,000 per episode to produce and the industry has earned
2 trillion-yen revenue. The Animation industry accounts for a large part of the
Japanese film market. Japanese television stations have bought over ¥60 billion
worth of anime from the producers over the past few years, in contrast to under
¥20 billion from abroad with a vast variety of genres it has all ages as its target
audience.

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KOREA
The Korean animation industry originated after the anthropological observation of
how Japanese and American characters dominated the Korean industries and
influenced the masses which led to the opening of the first Korean animation
studio in Pyongyang in 1948. Hence as animation characters unique to Korea
appeared their market also flourished after which these franchises have also
exported many characters to other countries to promote cultural and economic
exchange. Now cartoon artists live nationwide and have reached a sizable
number. As the webtoon industry has rapidly succeeded, the necessity for
building an institution for the promotion of cartoons in each region has increased
since 2015.

CHINA
An anthropological approach towards the people influenced the development of
China’s animation industry to change from outsourcing to inventive. China’s
domestic animation has stepped up a ladder with creation of native characters,
animation production and sales, expansion of the animation market and industrial
amelioration. To revolutionize the economy; the government endorsed
industrialization of culture, including animation. A shift in the function of
animation from only edutainment to a fair mix of edutainment and commercial
success. The government contemplates animation as an important part of the
knowledge based cultural and creative industries and supports this growth model
and for more domestic animations to fulfil its instilling functions to aid and
represent mainstream cultures, as well as implementing policies to reinforce
domestic culture dominance in society.

Analysis in Pakistani Context:

Cartoons and animations are a major component of the entertainment
industry. The annual revenue generated by animated films, comics and TV series
is rivalling that of non-animated films. However, animation is regarded as an
informal sector in Pakistan. The major animation endeavors in Pakistan are TV
Commercials such as those for “Dentonic” and “Dingdong” and short serials such
as “Safeguard” and “Burka Avenger”. Other examples include the animated film
“3 Bahadur” which received rousing success upon release as it was the first of its
kind. One of the main reasons the animation industry in Pakistan should allocated
proper resources is because it is an essential creative outlet for digital artists.
To understand the effect of cartoons in Pakistani society, we see what kind of
cartoons are mostly viewed in our region. For example, cartoons such “Abdul
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Bari” and “Jaan” have been great successes. The reason behind their success can
mostly be credited to being close to our cultural values and having a good moral
lesson directly or indirectly. Similarly, we need to see what kind of cartoons were
being banned in the region. We see the example of “Chhota Bheem” and “Motu
Patlu”. These cartoons, despite being huge hits in the region, were banned since
our own language, Urdu, was being undermined indirectly because of the
enormous use of Hindi language.

Conclusion
It is especially necessary for the younger audience to see themselves and their
values in the people they see on screen. A child is exposed to TV screens and
animations from a very young age, and it is an undeniably large part of his or her
upbringing. Therefore, providing Pakistani-made animations and cartoons for
them will foster a feeling of belonging and inevitably, it will lead to a more
confident and morally sound generation.
The animation industry of Pakistan is still underdeveloped. Most Pakistani
animation studios are self-established and many lack resources to operate on a
formal level. Digital artists and graphic designers should be given proper
platforms to encourage creativity, and so that the animation industry of our
country can flourish which will benefit both the consumers and the producers of
this art form, as well as soften the extremist image that has been fed to the world
by Western elements.

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