The Algorithm Made Me a Le$bean : Algoritmic "Folk Theory" Within the Lesbian Community on TikTok

Sammanfattning: Based on the news coverage published 2020 that exposed practices of censorship and shadowbanning of LGBTQ+ creators implemented with the help of the TikTok algorithm the aim of this thesis was established (Ryan et al., 2020). The thesis analyze communication published on the Reddit forum r/actuallesbians regarding the lesbian community on TikTok to examine if there had been algorithmic “folk theories” created regarding the platform’s algorithm. This was done by performing a qualitative thematic content analysis of posts dedicated to the subject of TikTok’s algorithm and lesbian TikTok creators sourced from the Reddit forum. The data sample collected was 4 Reddit posts and their 116 subsequential comments published by 68 users. This analysis found that there were two main themes present in the user’s algorithmic theories; algorithm as it is and algorithm as you make it. Depending on the individuals’ beliefs regarding the algorithm it also affected their belief on the platforms ability to host a diverse lesbian community. The study found that the community had created opposing “folk theories” regarding the function of the algorithm and to what extent the community could create narratives representing the whole community. Depending on the “folk theory” the users were analyzed to fit into, they exhibited different behaviors and beliefs on how community could be created on the platform.