TITLE:
Divergences and Convergences in Research on Factors Influencing User Satisfaction with Douyin and TikTok—A Systematic Review Based on Domestic and International Literature
AUTHORS:
Han Yang, Rongjie Gui, Yushi Yin
KEYWORDS:
Douyin, TikTok, Short-Form Video Platforms, User Satisfaction, Influencing Factors
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Business and Management,
Vol.14 No.5,
September
20,
2026
ABSTRACT: As the traffic dividend in the short-video industry continues to dwindle and the market has fully entered a phase of competition for existing users, how to maintain user retention and reduce user churn has become a central focus of both operational practice and academic research on short-video platforms such as Douyin and TikTok. User satisfaction with short-form video platforms exhibits a distinct duality, characterised by positive recognition of the user experience alongside negative issues such as psychological fatigue from long-term use and time wastage. Conclusions from relevant academic research are significantly divergent, and a unified and comprehensive theoretical framework has yet to be established. Against this backdrop, this paper employs a literature review approach to synthesise relevant empirical research findings from both domestic and international sources. It systematically summarises the controversies and existing findings regarding user satisfaction on Douyin and TikTok across six core dimensions: algorithmic personalised recommendations, the social interaction experience, the advertising experience and its disclosure, content quality, safety and privacy perceptions, and usage duration and demographic characteristics. The research indicates that short-form video user satisfaction is not influenced by a single factor, but rather results from the combined effect of multiple internal and external conditions. Actual behaviours such as user burnout and voluntary churn serve as direct indicators of satisfaction levels. This study effectively clarifies the research controversies and applicable boundaries regarding core variables of user satisfaction, elaborates on the differentiated mechanisms influencing satisfaction across different user groups and usage scenarios, and supplements the bidirectional pathways through which latent psychological factors affect user satisfaction, thereby further refining the literature landscape and theoretical framework in the field of short-video user satisfaction. The research findings not only provide practical guidance for short-video platforms to optimise their operational models and strike a balance between commercial development and user retention, but also promote high-quality development within the industry, whilst offering important theoretical references and research insights for subsequent empirical studies in the field of short-video user behaviour.