[論文レビュー] "My Brother Is a School Principal, Earns About $80,000 Per Year... But When the Kids See Me, 'Wow, Uncle, You Have 1500 Followers on TikTok!'": A Study of Blind TikTokers' Alternative Professional Development Experiences

Yao Lyu, Tawanna R. Dillahunt+2 more|arXiv (Cornell University)|Jan 16, 2026

Child Development and Digital Technology被引用数 0

ひとこと要約

The paper investigates how 60 visually impaired TikTok users (BlindTokers) pursue professional development on TikTok, revealing an alternative, more inclusive approach that blends learning, networking, and monetization.

ABSTRACT

One's profession is an essential part of modern life. Traditionally, professional development has been criticized for excluding people with disabilities. People with visual impairments, for example, face disproportionately low employment rates, highlighting persistent gaps in professional opportunities. Recently, there has been growing research on social media platforms as spaces for more equitable career development approaches. In this paper, we present an interview study on the professional development experiences of 60 people with visual impairments on TikTok (also known as "BlindTokers"). We report BlindTokers' goals, strategies, and challenges, supported by detailed examples and in-depth analysis. Based on the findings, we identify that BlindTokers' practices reveal an alternative professional development approach that is more flexible, inclusive, personalized, and diversified than traditional models. Our study also extends professional development research by foregrounding emerging digital skills and proposing design implications to foster more equitable and inclusive professional opportunities.

研究の動機と目的

• Examine BlindTokers' professional development goals on TikTok.
• Identify strategies BlindTokers use to pursue career growth on the platform.
• Explore challenges BlindTokers face in leveraging TikTok for professional advancement.

提案手法

• Semi-structured interviews with 60 BlindTokers identified via snowball sampling.
• Thematic analysis to extract goals, strategies, and challenges related to professional development.
• Reflexive, IRB-approved ethnographic approach embedded in a broader study of blind users on TikTok.

実験結果

リサーチクエスチョン

• RQ1 RQ1: What are the primary professional goals for BlindTokers on TikTok?
• RQ2 RQ2: What strategies do BlindTokers use to pursue these goals?
• RQ3 RQ3: What challenges do BlindTokers encounter on TikTok in their professional development?

主な発見

• BlindTokers pursue both traditional and nontraditional career paths, expanding professional development beyond institutional settings.
• Strategies include monetizing content, honing skills, and social networking to build opportunities.
• Two major challenges—technical accessibility and social ableism—significantly hinder professionalization on the platform.
• The study documents an alternative PD approach that emphasizes accessibility work, algorithmic literacy, advocacy, and emotional labor.
• Participants’ experiences illustrate diversified revenue streams and more personalized, flexible career development.