SKIN POSITIVITY DISCOURSE ON TIKTOK: A CRITICAL DISCOURSE ANALYSIS OF BEAUTY STANDARDS IN THE INDONESIAN CONTEXT

Abstract

This study explores skin tone discourse on TikTok within the Indonesian context, where beauty standards have long privileged lighter skin and contributed to ongoing issues of colorism and self-perception. Employing a qualitative approach through Critical Discourse Analysis using Fairclough’s three-dimensional framework, the research analyzes selected videos from the TikTok account @heylulaa by examining verbal, visual, and interactional elements. The findings indicate that dominant beauty standards continue to be reproduced in everyday discourse, leading to experiences of discrimination and internalized insecurity, while at the same time revealing the emergence of counter-discourses that promote self-acceptance and challenge these norms. However, such resistance does not fully replace dominant standards, as both coexist and are shaped by the dynamics and aesthetic conventions of digital media. In conclusion, TikTok functions as a dynamic space where skin tone discourse is continuously negotiated between conformity and resistance, reflecting the complex relationship between power, identity, and media in shaping contemporary beauty standards.