PENGARUH EXPOSURE ALGORITMA MEDIA SOSIAL TIKTOK TERHADAP POLA KONSUMSI INFORMASI GEN Z (STUDI PADA MAHASISWA ILMU KOMUNIKASI UNIVERSITAS MUHAMMADIYAH MALANG ANGKATAN 2022)

This study aims to examine the influence of the TikTok social media algorithm on Generation Z’s information consumption patterns, particularly among students of the Communication Science Study Program at Universitas Muhammadiyah Malang, Class of 2022. The background of this study is based on the increasing use of TikTok as a source of information among university students, making the platform’s algorithm play a significant role in determining the type and direction of information received by users. This research employed a quantitative approach using a survey method. The population of the study consisted of students from the Communication Science Study Program at Universitas Muhammadiyah Malang, Class of 2022. A total of 124 respondents participated in the study, selected through the distribution of questionnaires to active TikTok users within the Communication Science Study Program, Class of 2022. Data were collected through direct questionnaire distribution to the respondents.

Data analysis was conducted using validity tests, reliability tests, classical assumption tests, simple linear regression analysis, and t-tests. The results indicate that the TikTok algorithm has a significant influence on students’ information consumption patterns. This is evidenced by a significance value of < 0.001 and a calculated t-value of 11.269, leading to the acceptance of the research hypothesis. The regression coefficient value of 0.951 and the coefficient of determination (R Square) value of 0.510 indicate that the TikTok algorithm contributes 51% to students’ information consumption patterns, while the remaining 49% is influenced by other factors beyond the scope of this study. These findings suggest that the TikTok algorithm functions not only as a content recommendation system but also as a factor that shapes Generation Z’s information consumption patterns.