TikTok, Algorithmic Emotion, and the New Propaganda Battlefield

TikTok is transforming modern propaganda by systematically conditioning how users feel rather than what they think. The platform's algorithm creates an emotionally charged environment by amplifying content that elicits strong affective responses like empathy, anger, or grief. A study of college students during the Israel-Hamas war found that while their political beliefs remained stable, their emotional intensity toward the conflict significantly increased. This conditioning establishes a powerful emotional framework that shapes how users interpret future information, effectively making feeling precede belief.