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Journals / Erciyes İletişim Dergisi / 2026 / Cilt: 13 Sayı: 1

Representation of Children's Rights on TikTok: A Comparative Analysis of UNICEF and Save the Children

TikTok’ta Çocuk Haklarının Temsili: UNICEF ve Save the Children Üzerine Karşılaştırmalı Bir Analiz

Zindan Çakıcı(Üsküdar Üniversitesi)0000-0002-8916-0582
Aslı Güler(ÜSKÜDAR ÜNİVERSİTESİ)0009-0004-3480-0468
Rinata Faizulaeva(ÜSKÜDAR ÜNİVERSİTESİ)0009-0002-1903-6014
Pages
45–65
Publication Date
2026-01-30
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AI Summary & Key Takeaways

AI Insight
⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

Findings indicated that both organizations employed diverse digital communication elements, video formats, and emotional tones to inform and raise awareness about challenges faced by children.

📌 3 Key Takeaways

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Objective & Hypothesis:Currently, millions of children worldwide, particularly in fragile states, continue to face severe challenges and remain deprived of their fundamental rights.
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Key Findings & Data:UNICEF and Save the Children operate globally to address these challenges and convey their activities to the international community through digital platforms.
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Conclusion & Impact:Findings indicated that both organizations employed diverse digital communication elements, video formats, and emotional tones to inform and raise awareness about challenges faced by children.
🔬Design:Araştırma Makalesi
📍Scope:2019 Verileri
⚙️Variables:Dijital Savunuculuk · Uluslararası Kuruluşlar · Çocuk Hakları

Abstract

Currently, millions of children worldwide, particularly in fragile states, continue to face severe challenges and remain deprived of their fundamental rights. UNICEF and Save the Children operate globally to address these challenges and convey their activities to the international community through digital platforms. This study aimed to contribute to the literature by comparatively analyzing the TikTok accounts of these two organizations, focusing on how children and children’s rights were represented, the digital communication practices employed, and the role of TikTok in the communication strategies of international organizations engaged in children’s rights. The research examined 231 posts shared on UNICEF’s TikTok account between 2019 and 2025 and 199 posts on Save the Children’s account between 2021 and 2025 through content analysis. Findings indicated that both organizations employed diverse digital communication elements, video formats, and emotional tones to inform and raise awareness about challenges faced by children. However, the analysis revealed limited multilingualism, insufficient representation of disadvantaged groups, underutilization of spokespersons aligned with platform dynamics, the predominance of emotionally charged portrayals of children, and predominantly one-way communication.

Özet

Günümüzde, kırılgan ülkeler başta olmak üzere dünya genelinde milyonlarca çocuk çok ciddi sorunlarla karşılaşmakta ve temel haklara erişememektedir. UNICEF ve Save the Children, çocukların karşılaştığı sorunların çözümüne yönelik dünya genelinde çeşitli faaliyetler yürütmekte ve bunları dijital platformlar aracılığıyla uluslararası kamuoyuna aktarmaktadır. Bu çalışma, iki kuruluşun TikTok hesaplarını karşılaştırmalı olarak inceleyerek, çocukları ve çocuk haklarını nasıl temsil ettiklerine, dijital iletişim pratiklerine ve TikTok’un çocuk hakları alanında faaliyet gösteren uluslararası kuruluşların iletişim stratejilerindeki rolüne dair literatüre katkı sağlamayı amaçlamıştır. Çalışmada, UNICEF’in TikTok hesabında 2019-2025 tarihleri arasında paylaşılan 231 içerik ile Save the Children’ın TikTok hesabında 2021-2025 tarihleri arasında paylaşılan 199 içerik, içerik analizi ile incelenmiştir. Bulgular, kuruluşların TikTok’taki paylaşımlarında çeşitli dijital iletişim unsurlarını, video formatlarını ve duygusal tonları kullanarak çocukların karşılaştığı sorunlara yönelik bilgilendirme ve farkındalık çalışmaları yürüttüğünü göstermiştir. Ancak, içeriklerde çok dillilik ilkesinin yeterince uygulanmadığı, dezavantajlı grupların yeterince temsil edilmediği ve ihtiyaçlarının göz ardı edildiği, platformun dinamiklerine uygun sözcülere az yer verildiği, çocukların genellikle yüksek duygusal yoğunluk taşıyan içeriklerde temsil edildiği ve iletişimin çoğunlukla tek yönlü gerçekleştiği saptanmıştır. Bulgular, bu kuruluşların TikTok iletişim stratejilerinin kapsayıcılık, erişilebilirlik ve etkileşim açısından geliştirilmesi gerektiğini ortaya koymuştur.

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Cite This Article

Çakıcı, Z., Güler, A., Faizulaeva, R. (2026). Representation of Children's Rights on TikTok: A Comparative Analysis of UNICEF and Save the Children. Erciyes İletişim Dergisi, Cilt: 13 Sayı: 1, 45–65. https://doi.org/10.17680/erciyesiletisim.1756043

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