Expressive Silence: Managing Message Through Sign Language On Tiktok By Deaf Communicators

Abstract

Social media has become a communication tool that supports inclusivity so that people with disabilities can use it to convey various messages to the audience. The @jennifernatalie_ account is one of the deaf Social Media Influencers (SMI) who utilizes TikTok social media to deliver various educational content about sign language. As a person who has difficulty communicating verbally, @jennifernatalie_ can build relatively good engagement with followers. The purpose of this research is to analyze the communication strategy of @jennifernatalie_ in delivering sign language education through TikTok social media. The method used in this research is content analysis with a qualitative approach. The research data was obtained by analyzing the content of short videos on TikTok @jennifernatalie_ and supported by literature studies from several literatures relevant to the research topic. The results showed that @jennifernatalie_ has a certain communication strategy in delivering sign language education to TikTok social media audiences. As a sign language education communicator, @jennifernatalie_ not only conveys the material independently but also often invites her child as a communicator. In terms of message packaging, @jennifernatalie_ uses various features on TikTok so that closed captions can be displayed to help understand the sign language she conveys. In terms of audience, @jennifernatalie_ not only targets people with disabilities but also the whole society. Besides using TikTok as the main media to educate sign language, @jennifernatalie_ uses Instagram and YouTube as supporting media. These various things show that @jennifernatalie_ has qualified abilities as a social media influencer.

Keywords: Content analysis; Deaf; Social Media Influencers; TikTok; Engagement

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