TikTok’s silent curriculum: How algorithmic content shapes ethical and civic understanding among Nigerian undergraduates

Dunmade, Aderinola Ololade

doi:10.22059/jcss.2026.407271.1209

TikTok’s silent curriculum: How algorithmic content shapes ethical and civic understanding among Nigerian undergraduates

Document Type : Original article

Author

Aderinola Ololade Dunmade

Department of Library and Information Science, University of Ilorin Nigeria, Ilorin, Nigeria.

10.22059/jcss.2026.407271.1209

Abstract

Background: In the age of algorithmic media, TikTok has become a significant informal learning space for Generation Z, especially in shaping perceptions of ethics, power, and justice.
Aims: This study examines how final-year Library and Information Science students at the University of Ilorin engage with TikTok’s “silent curriculum”, a set of implicit and emotionally charged lessons embedded in short video content. Guided by informal learning theory, critical media literacy, and research on algorithmic governance, the study investigates how students interpret and absorb ethical and civic messages encountered on the platform.
Methodology: Using qualitative design, 12 active TikTok users reflected on the platform’s educational influence. Data collection was through semi-structured interviews and digital diaries over four weeks.
Findings: The students often encounter content related to social justice, mental health, gender identity, and political commentary, commonly communicated through humour, storytelling, and aesthetic trends. These engagements support reflection and awareness, yet they are shaped by algorithmic patterns that promote particular narratives while limiting others. The study shows that TikTok can serve both as a participatory space for civic learning and as a platform where performative ethics and misinformation circulate. For Library and Information Science students, this raises important questions about their future responsibilities as ethical managers of digital content.
Conclusion: The paper recommends a redesign of digital literacy approaches to include emotional awareness, ethical judgement, and understanding of platform structures. By centring the perspectives of Nigerian Gen Z students, the study adds to knowledge on how digital platforms act as instructional agents in contemporary civic learning.

Keywords

Main Subjects

media

Main Object: Media, Social informatics, Digital generations research, Social media research

References

Ahmed, S.K. (2025). “Sample size for saturation in qualitative research: Debates, definitions, and strategies”. Journal of Medicine, Surgery, and Public Health. 5. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.glmedi.2024.100171.

Balogun-Ibijunle, A.; Ogunbola, O.; Olatunji, O.; Doyinsola, A.; Akin-Odukoya, O.; Ojenagbon, S. & Ridwan, M. (2024). “Dominance of short form videos: Cross-age analysis of TikTok’s influence”. Lakhomi Journal Scientific Journal of Culture. 5(2): 104-115. https://doi.org/10.33258/lakhomi.v5i2.1177.

Banda, J.H. (2025). “A critical analysis of pedagogical strategies for fostering ethical decision-making, integrity, and social responsibility in Generation Z: Addressing the impact of modern societal challenges on moral development”. http://upubscience.com/upload/20250108160801.pdf.

Bantugan, B. (2025). “Qualitative mindset behind phenomenology: Implications to qualitative research training”. International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science. 9(4): 4627-4641. https://dx.doi.org/10.47772/IJRISS.2025.90400331.

Beier, J.L. (2023). “Working at the edge of extinction”. In Pedagogy at the End of the World: Weird Pedagogies for Unthought Educational Futures (pp. 153-207). Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland.

Christou, P.A. (2025). “Looking beyond numbers in qualitative research: From data saturation to data analysis”. The Qualitative Report. 30(1): 3088-3100. https://doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2025.7560.

Davutoğlu, E. (2025). “Algorithmic governance and its transformative role in decision-making”. In AI Driven Tools for Sustainable Public Administration (pp. 277-290). IGI Global Scientific Publishing.

Dawson, S. (2024). You Can’t Say that on TikTok: Cxnsxrshxp, Algorithmic (in) Visibility, and the Threat of Representation. Doctoral dissertation, University of British Columbia. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/.

Dunmade, A.O. & Tella, A. (2023). “Social media use and its implications on cyberethical behaviour in Nigeria: Perspectives of Generation Z girls”. Journal of Cyberspace Studies. 7(1): 23-44. https://doi.org/10.22059/jcss.2023.351174.1082.

Gillespie, T. (2014). “The relevance of algorithms”. In Gillespie, T.; Boczkowski, P.J. & Foot, K.A. (Eds.). Media Technologies: Essays on Communication, Materiality, and Society (pp. 167–194). MIT Press.

Greenhow, C. & Lewin, C. (2019). “Social media and education: Reconceptualizing the boundaries of formal and informal learning”. In Social Media and Education (pp. 6-30). Routledge.

Jones, M.S. (2025). “Review of algorithms of oppression: How search engines reinforce racism, by Safiya Umoja Noble”. Education Review. 32.

Kellner, D. & Share, J. (2019). The Critical Media Literacy Guide: Engaging Media and Transforming Education. Vol. 2. Brill.

Kellner, D. & Share, J. (2007). “Critical media literacy: Crucial policy choices for a twenty-first-century democracy”. Policy Futures in Education. 5(1): 59-69. https://doi.org/10.2304/pfie.2007.5.1.59.

Khair, Z.; Supian, S.S.; Ghazali, N.M. & Muhamad, I.I. (2025). “Informal learning medium among Gen Z undergraduate students”. Sains Humanika. 17(2): 51-57. https://doi.org/10.11113/sh.v17n2.2220.

Knowles, M.S. (1975). Self-Directed Learning: A Guide for Learners and Teachers. Association Press.

Kolber, S. (2024). “Ancient methods & modern memes: Using Socratic circles and TikTok within classes to democratise your teaching”. Curriculum Perspectives. 44(2): 217-228. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41297-024-00247-w.

Livingstone, D.W. (2001). Adults' Informal Learning: Definitions, Findings, Gaps and Future Research. NALL Working Paper #21. Centre for the Study of Education and Work, University of Toronto.

Marwick AE, Boyd D. (2014). “Networked privacy: How teenagers negotiate context in social media”. New Media & Society. 16(7): 1051-1067. https://doi.org/10.1177/1461444814543995.

Noble, S.U. (2018). Algorithms of Oppression: How Search Engines Reinforce Racism. NYU Press.

Ofei, O.; Kayode, E.; Apeakhuye, A.L.; Precious, O.E. & Emuke, E. (2024). “A review of social media as alternative medium for political participation”. International Journal of Research Publication and Reviews. 5(1): 489-497.

Ogunniran, O.O.; Dunmade, A.O.; Adewojo, A.A.; Ajani, A.Y.; Adefila, E.K.; Olasehinde-Williams, O.; Koledafe, O.S. & Akinola, J.O. (2022). “Generation Z undergraduates’ perspectives on social media use and its impact on higher education learning (HEL) in Nigeria”. Education Dialogue. 69.

Papacharissi, Z. (2015). Affective Publics: Sentiment, Technology, and Politics. Oxford University Press.

Priyanshu, A. & Vijay, S. (2024). “The silent curriculum: How does LLM monoculture shape educational content and its accessibility?”. arXiv. https://arxiv.org/abs/2407.10371.

Ribble, M. (2011). Digital Citizenship in Schools: Nine Elements All Students Should Know. 2nd ed. International Society for Technology in Education.

Salehi, K.; Habib Zadeh Khiyaban, S. & Sabbar, S. (2026). “Artificial intelligence and crime detection: A critical review. Cyberspace Studies. 10(1): 1-17. https://doi.org/10.22059/jcss.2025.402206.1179.

Salehi, K.; Habib Zadeh Khiyaban, S. & Sabbar, S. (2025). “Artificial intelligence and the future of international law and power”. Journal of World Sociopolitical Studies. 9(4): 923-958. https://doi.org/10.22059/wsps.2025.401951.1552.

Sefton-Green, J. & Pangrazio, L. (2021). Platform Pedagogies – Toward a Research Agenda. MIT Press Works in Progress. https://wip.mitpress.mit.edu/pub/platform-pedagogies.

Smith, J.N. (2025). TL; DR-Why Gen Z Can’t Even: Understanding Post-Literacy and Communication in the Digital Age. Doctoral dissertation, Wichita State University.

Stanfield, W.J. (2024). Informal Learning Using Hybrid Social Learning Networks for Continuing Professional Development amongst Dental Professionals in the UK. Doctoral dissertation, Lancaster University, United Kingdom.

Tazhenova, G.; Mikhaylova, N. & Turgunbayeva, B. (2024). “Digital media in informal learning activities”. Education and Information Technologies. 29(16): 21673-21690. https://www.doi.org/10.1007/s10639-024-12687-y.

Tervo, H. (2025). “The impact of informal learning on leadership growth and effectiveness of later career leaders in the public sector”. https://aaltodoc.aalto.fi/bitstreams/106c3e7d-2e5c-4cbb-bcc1-c6a42110baf5/download.

Winarjo, W. (2025). “Generational shift in learning discomfort: A systematic literature review of pedagogical tensions between millennials and Generation Z”. Journal of Strategy and Transformation in Educational Management. 16-29. https://jostem.professorline.com/index.php/journal/article/view/19.

Zaffos, L.E. (2024). Microlearning Through TikTok: A Descriptive and Comparative Study of TikTok and Traditional Lecture for Nurse Residents. Doctoral Dissertation, William Carey University.