Netizens’ Resistance Against Government Policies Through Tone Deaf Narratives (Rodney H. Jones’ Digital Discourse Analysis on the TikTok Platform in 2025)

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the digital discourse surrounding netizens' resistance against government policies through tone deaf narratives on TikTok in 2025. The study was conducted using a qualitative approach employing Rodney H. Jones' digital discourse analysis, which emphasizes text, context, action and interaction, as well as ideology and power. The findings of this study indicate that the tone deaf discourse on TikTok is constructed in a multidirectional manner. The casual appearance and simple background settings used by content creators build a sense of trust and emotional closeness with the audience. The consistent use of terms such as tone deaf, government policy, public grievances, and criticism across all content carrying tone deaf narratives is evident. Netizens' responses reveal a duality: there are both pro-content and anti-content groups. Videos with tone deaf narratives represent a form of digital political participation operating through the No Viral No Justice mechanism. The conclusion of this study is that TikTok has transformed into a serious public discourse space, where citizens and netizens freely express their criticisms and arguments in pursuit of justice and civic rights.