Ephemeral Feeds and Enduring Rituals: RushTok and the Formation of Event-Based Algorithmic Communities
arXiv preprint
arXiv 2026 Preprint
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A study of RushTok as an event-based algorithmic community, examining participation, belonging, creator boundaries, and the stakes of viral visibility.
Abstract:
Each August, TikTok's For You page turns the University of Alabama's sorority recruitment into RushTok. We examine RushTok as an event-based algorithmic community: a collective assembled around a bounded offline ritual and sustained by recommendation. Using a mixed-methods survey (n=71) and a reflexive account of creator outreach, we ask who participates, how, and with what stakes. Findings show an ambiguous and entertainment based throughline; many called it a community (51/71) but few claimed membership (11/71). Affiliation centered on creators rather than shared practices, with parasocial attention clustering around a small set of potential new members (PNMs) and returning figures. Higher content exposure tracked with self-identification as a community member; those members commented, followed creators, and engaged across videos. Attempts to interview creators were met with silence or refusals, reflecting community boundary-work despite viral visibility. We outline implications for platform governance, including time-bounded context, graduated visibility, and aftercare.
Bibtex:
@misc{hughes2026260909331,
title = {Ephemeral Feeds and Enduring Rituals: RushTok and the Formation of Event-Based Algorithmic Communities},
author = {Emelia Hughes and Tim Weninger},
year = {2026},
eprint = {2609.09331},
archivePrefix = {arXiv},
primaryClass = {cs.HC},
doi = {10.48550/arXiv.2609.09331},
url = {https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.09331}
}