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Fragmented Belonging: Platform Design and Incidental News Consumption on Social Media
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Introduction Social media has revolutionised the original ideas of community, wherever I am. Whereas people can travel the world to join in many online groups, it seems society does not do the same with its discourse. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Reddit are not only social platforms to share things and find out new information, they…
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Viral Politics: How the Rise of Short-Form Content Platforms Has Transformed the Way Gen Z Consumes News Articles
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In an era characterised by nonstop scrolling and short-form content, conventional news outlets have lost prominence to social media behemoths such as Instagram and TikTok, particularly amongst Generation Z. As mentioned by Chen and Ha (2023) Generation Z were the first generation born into the mass-adoption of the internet, established a unique relationship with information and current…
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Tweeting Under Pressure: How Twitter Shapes and Shakes the Soccer Community
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Abstract In today’s digital age, social media platforms like Twitter play a significant role in shaping the experiences of soccer players, particularly young and emerging talent. While these platforms offer exposure, networking opportunities, and a space to showcase skills, they also promote toxic behaviours that can severely impact athletes’ mental health and performance. This paper…
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For You: How TikTok’s Algorithm Reconstructs Online Community
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TikTok is the fastest-growing social media platform at present. With over one billion users, the short-video platform that launched in 2018 has continued to transform traditional understandings of social media’s purpose, branching out to unseen territory (Bhandari & Bimo, 2022). Whereas older platforms, including Facebook, helped shape the area of online platforms, TikTok has broken…
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SkinnyTok and the Rebrand of Disordered Eating
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AbstractThis paper investigates how TikTok’s algorithmic architecture reinforces harmful weight-loss ideologies through the proliferation of SkinnyTok, particularly in the wake of widespread social media discourse around pharmaceutical weight-loss aids like Ozempic. Positioned within the “Communities and Social Media” stream, the paper argues that TikTok’s affordances—such as its algorithmic “For You” feed, looping short-form videos, and…
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The Positive Impacts of Social Media on the Transformation of the Entertainment Industry
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For years, social media has played a massive role in transforming the entertainment industry from a traditional form to a more globalised and maximising reach to a broader range of consumers. This paper argues that social media has positively impacted the growth and transformation of the entertainment industry, making it one of the most emerging…
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Empowered by Connection: How Social Media Fosters a Positive Health and Wellness Community
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“Social Media has created a positive environment for the health and wellness community through fostering connections, increasing access to expert advice, and providing a platform for motivation and support.” Social media has emerged as an undeniable force in the current day, influencing numerous aspects of our life, including the wellness and health community. It helped…
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The Manosphere and its Impact on Young Minds
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The online manosphere is an intriguing yet complex topic in this 20th century. With the rise of social media, political spaces and feminist movements, the manosphere has exploded in popularity online, creating a space in which men have found to feel seen alongside other like minded individuals. With the manosphere’s sudden rise in popularity, young…
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Connection to Obsession: How Social Media Fuels Toxic Fan Culture
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Connection to Obsession: How Social Media Fuels Toxic Fan Culture by deepening parasocial ties, promoting rivalry, and transforming music fandoms.
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TikTok and the Truth: Navigating the Challenges of Misinformation
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Introduction: TikTok (formerly known as Musical.ly), was introduced in January of 2020 and became an online community where users could watch, create, and share short-form videos from mobile devices (D’Souza, 2025). The app stands out for its high levels of engagement and captivating nature thanks to its customised feeds containing quirky short-form videos with sound…
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QueerTok: How TikTok Enables Digital Identities and Community Formation
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TikTok is a widely used social media platform that is generally used for creative content, allowing users to create short-form video content that is often used as an expressive means of identity. Over the years, it has become a major cultural phenomenon, particularly among youth, with millions of users creating, viewing and interacting with content…
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X, Home of The Far Right: how a change in platform leadership transformed its political culture
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Regardless of origins, any community within social media platforms are constantly adapting to changes in their preferred landscape. However, when a change in leadership started a snowball into the erasure, replacement and transformation of what was previously known as Twitter, communities found themselves adjusting to changes on a much larger scale. When entrepreneur Elon Musk…
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Doomscrolling Into Isolation: How Social Media Addiction Wastes Time and Hinders Real-Life Connection
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Time is one of the few things in life we can never get back. How we spend it shapes not only our days, but who we become. Moments spent talking with friends and family, walking through the park, or doing the things we love – these are the things that create a life well lived.…
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Food Bloggers on Instagram: How Malaysian Foodies Shape Nation’s Culinary Preferences
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Abstract In today’s digital era, Instagram is one of the most influential social media across the entire globe. It is a platform where food bloggers have the potential to influence food trends, consumer beliefs, and revolutionize Malaysian food culture. The paper explains how Malaysian food bloggers on Instagram is a cultural bridge, creates the connection…
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From Tool to Plague: How shifts in social media have directly affected adolescent well-being.
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“Up to 95% of youth ages 13–17 report using a social media platform, with more than a third saying they use social media “almost constantly.” (Office of the Surgeon General, 2023, p. 4). In its infancy, social media emerged as a revolutionary tool, designed to connect individuals, amplify voices, and foster creativity across global communities.…
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Expressing Yourself or Acting like Someone Else: How the online gaming community fosters the creation of a second social identity
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Abstract This paper supports the idea that online gaming communities foster the creation of a second social identity that differs from their offline social identity, and how this second identity is not expressing yourself, but acting like someone else. This paper addresses this through Roblox, an online game and Discord, a social network commonly used…
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The Online Swiftie Fandom and its Ability to Foster Community, Belonging, and Identity.
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Abstract This paper explores the online Taylor Swift fandom or ‘Swifties’ as they are colloquially known, and how they utilise the social media platform Instagram. It first addresses what a fandom is and how the Taylor Swift fandom operates on Instagram, it then discusses what a ‘third place’ is and suggests that the fandom on…
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The Role of Social Media in Facilitating Harmful Parasocial Relationships and Online Conflict: A Case Study of Tik Tok Influencer Culture
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Abstract: This paper aims to explore and examine the influence of social media in fostering emotionally intense parasocial relationships between influencers, content creators and their followers. It also investigates the effect of public disputes between influencers, which is often referred to as ‘beef’, and how the effect it has on their audiences. Throughout the paper…
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Online Social Media contributing to the transformation of Church Communities
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Abstract: The emergence and subsequent implementation of online social media has transformed many church communities. The utilization of social media has impacted how churches communicate by enabling broad communications and has contributed to the reshaping of community engagement and faith practice in an online social media context. Introduction The Internet and online digital technology revolutionized…
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Political Polarisation and TikTok
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Abstract This paper examines how algorithm-driven social media platforms, especially TikTok, have exacerbated political polarisation by fostering echo chambers, normalising hate speech and enabling self-radicalisation. The way people consume political content has drastically changed as TikTok has replaced traditional media, especially for younger generations. This shift in consumption has enabled hate speech and extremist ideologies…
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The Role of Social Media: How the Kuki tribes of Northeast India utilize Facebook to amplify their voices and counter social injustice.
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Abstract: The Kuki communities living in Northeast India are similar to what North Americans regard as a community where most people “spent their lives surrounded by relatives, neighbours, and friends who shared not only similar backgrounds and beliefs but also did similar tasks and daily labor”. Since the issues of the Kukis are often overlooked…
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Impact of Social Media and Online Communities on the Mental Wellbeing of Australian Teenagers
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Abstract This paper critically examines the impact of social media and online communities on the mental health of Australian teenagers. Collecting crucial findings from scholarly research and secondary data, this paper explores both positive and negative effects of belonging to an online community with the rise of social media. This essay also reveals how digital…
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How do gaming communities in Discord foster engagements for youths?
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Abstract As the technology is getting more and more advanced in the modern days, gaming communities play a crucial role for youths when it comes to socializing through various social media platforms. This conference paper dives into how gaming communities in Discord foster engagements for youths by allowing them to have a chance to have…
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TikTok algorithms promoting harmful body comparisons in younger users
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abstract – In today’s world, where social media heavily influences self-image, TikTok has become a powerful yet potentially damaging tool on how young people view their bodies. Youth TikTok usage is correlated with an increase in body comparison and dissatisfaction through TikTok-specific affordance applications and psychological frameworks that allow for the mental reinforcement of negative…
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How Advice Seekers and Neurodivergent Individuals Navigate Reddit’s Mental Health Communities
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Abstract: This study examines the interactions of autistic and ADHD-diagnosable individuals with advice seekers in Reddit’s mental health communities. These platforms create self-moderated, anonymous spaces where users can seek validation, tell their narratives, and develop coping strategies. Reddit’s available platforms and written forms of interaction are particularly accommodating for those who experience difficulty with social…
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Communities on TikTok: Changes in Communication, Community and Network Formation Online.
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Abstract Communities are built and maintained on shared interest and proximity. the widespread adoption of social media, specifically TikTok, has allowed many communities to transition and thrive online. It has also allowed for bigger and better fandoms, more effective brand advertising and loyalty, and more creative collaboration. TikTok has created an environment that fosters communities…
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Instagram’s role in body issues amongst adolescent women
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ABSTRACT This paper examines the role that Instagram plays in the increase of body image issues among teenage girls in Australia. Whilst body image challenges are not a new problem for female adolescents, the rise in popularity of the use of Instagram for this demographic and the online participation in the Platform’s community network are…
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TikTok and the Paradox of Addiction: its Potential as a Tool for Healing
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Abstract TikTok has faced criticism for promoting compulsive use through endless content loops, keeping users hooked and creating a potentially harmful digital environment. However, this paper argues that TikTok is not entirely bad. Despite its addictive design, TikTok can offer support for those who are healing from addiction or mental health struggles. This paper explores…
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Filters, Followers, and Facial Routines: Identity, Authenticity, and Capital for Women in the Beauty Communities Online
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Abstract This paper discusses how the development of social media sites like YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok has changed the skin and beauty communities. It pays particular attention to how women, particularly young women utilize these platforms to develop their identities, distribute authentic content, and acquire financial and social capital. These online communities, which provide everything…
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TikTok has impacted Gen Z communities self-perception by setting unrealistic body image and beauty standards.
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Gen Zs spend around 12.4 hours on TikTok per week (Catherine & Literat,2023). TikTok has become the most popular and influential social media platformfor Gen Z today. It is a social media app where users can upload short clipsshowcasing things like their interests, hobbies, day-to-day lives, beauty routinesand much more. These short span clips create…
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Social Media and its role in television and film fandoms
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Abstract Television and film in 2025 do not exist within a vacuum, the existence of these legacy forms of entertainment is complicated by the involvement of online communities and fanbases. I theorise in this paper that social media filter bubbles and algorithms create a useful sense of community amongst television and film fans but concurrently…
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Reddit has rewired how people think about community by shifting it from traditional, place-based bonds to interest-driven, networked individualism
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INTRODUCTION Over the past two decades, directly coinciding with the rise and evolution of web 2.0, social media spaces and technological advances; the erosion of ‘traditional’ community pertaining to physical face-to-face interaction and place bounds has been a space for contention (Putnam, 2000). Paradoxically however, owing to foundations provided by online spaces and social media…
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Belle Gibson: The influencer who deceived hundreds of thousands through her online Instagram community
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Many Instagram communities negatively impact users’ perceptions of reality, highlighting the need for higher regulation on social media. Social media platforms like Instagram have become central to modern society, significantly shaping how we think, feel and connect with others. Social media communities are reshaping human society, offering significant benefits but also posing potential risks (Bainbridge,…
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Parasocial Relationships are a driving force behind the success and cohesion of online fandom communities
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Abstract:In the contemporary digital age and the transition to the Web 2.0 in which many Web platforms followed the trend of becoming participatory instead of media syndicate-like, fandoms have become participatory. In fandoms where the subject is a media figure community have become a place in which fans actively engage with the media figure, whether…
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Toxic by Algorithm: The Hidden Cost of Influencer Culture on Young Men
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Abstract This paper looks at how content creators on Instagram and TikTok, influence young Australian men’s views on masculinity by promoting toxic ideals and misogynistic messages. In the wider context of identity formation and digital culture, it argues that these platforms often reinforce traditional, dominant forms of masculinity, which can contribute to normalising gender-based power…
#onlinenetworksandsocialchange, Advocacy, algorithm, algorithms, Andrew tate, Body Image, BodyImage, change, Communities, Fitness, GenZ, ideals, Identity, Influencers, Instagram, MentalHealth, online conference, online networks, representation, SMCN25, social change, Social Media, tiktok, Toxic Masculinity, Trends, Twitch, Twitter, YouTube -
Unboxing Identity: Blind Box Toys as a Tool for Self-Expression in Online Platforms
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Abstract With the rise of user-generated content through social media, the sharing of diverse interests has led to various online communities that different users resonate with. Among these interests are blind boxes, which refer to toy collectibles sold in sealed packaging that conceal the specific item or design the consumer will receive. Blind boxes have…
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How TikTok’s Baking Community Allows People of Different Cultures and Ages to Connect and Build A Sense of Belonging
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Abstract This paper examines how TikTok’s baking community allows people from different cultures, backgrounds, and age groups to connect with each other and increase their sense of belonging. By taking advantage of the variety of community content and interaction between people on its diverse research platform, TikTok has also created an active and engaging community…
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Forming connections for visual artists: how Instagram has transformed creative communities
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Abstract: Previously, visual creative artists found their community through their grassroots connections. Instagram has allowed creatives to spark conversations and forge connections on a global scale which has revolutionised the way visual creatives form communities. Instagram has radically changed the way solo visual artist or creatives engage with art communities due to the platforms affordances…
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How Facebook serves as an ideal platform for music producers around the world to build their community.
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Abstract This paper explores the transformation of music communities from traditional physical collaboration to digital communities. The focus is on Facebook and how it helps “bedroom producers” from the world share ideas, learn from others, and collaborate for musical works. The paper also highlights some challenges in these online communities, such as misinformation and gatekeeping.…
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How do churches use social media to build online communities?
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In this digital age, everyone uses electronic devices to browse current information. This gradually promotes the formation of online communities. According to Hampton (2015), it mentioned that social media and online platforms make communities more permanent and people can stay connected regardless of time and location. Traditionally, churches build Christian’s faith through physical gatherings. However,…
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Charli XCX’s ‘Brat’ Persona and Its Collective Reception: A Critical Examination of TikTok as a Catalyst for Modern Self-Expression
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Authored by Savannah-Leigh Horner (Source: https://www.bratgenerator.com/) INTRODUCING The ‘Brat’ Identity Charlotte Emma Aitchison, publicly known as Charli XCX, is a British experimental electro-pop singer and songwriter. (Brodsky, I. 2024) Despite being active in the music industry for over a decade and playing a key role in some of the most iconic pop hits of the…
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The Networked Educator: Building Knowledge Communities on YouTube
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Introduction This paper explores how the social media platform, YouTube empowers online educators by creating learning communities and democratising access to technical knowledge, through participatory content creation, algorithm-driven discoverability and collaborative audience interaction. This aligns with the Social Media, Communities and Networks steam, as it examines new forms of community engagement. As of February 2025,…
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The Harmful Impacts Of Social Media On Australian Adolescents
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Abstract This paper addresses the question: What effect do filter bubbles created by social media platforms have on adolescents in Australia? As the use of platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube continues to grow rapidly, it is crucial to ensure that these digital spaces remain safe and supportive environments for young people. This paper explores…
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Internet-savvy parents rake in money from family vlogging accounts while their children remain ignorant to the value of their own digital labour and the dangers they are being exposed to.
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Abstract Family vlogging content creators on social media apps like TikTok have the potential to make large sums of money but at what cost to the children featured in those accounts? Allowing children to be used in family vlogging accounts provides the opportunity for cyber creeps to stalk, target and communicate with children who lack…
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Social media: The rise of the Swifties
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Social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram have transformed the way fan communities form and interact, fostering highly engaged and immersive digital communities and fandoms. Amongst these communities, the Taylor Swift fandom, also known as Swifties, demonstrates how social media amplifies parasocial relationships, enhances fan participation, and contributes to the creation of cult-like online communities. While passionate…
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Social Media and how they influence Online Identity, and enable Collective Action through their Digital Spaces
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Abstract The rise of the internet has changed the way people connect, removing the limitations of physical distance and allowing digital communities to form through global social networks. This essay explores how online spaces act as digital third spaces, places where people interact freely outside of work or personal responsibilities. Platforms like Twitter, Instagram, YouTube,…
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TikTok Lifestyle Content Creators and Social Media Authenticity Crisis
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Abstract: This paper examines the complex relationship between authenticity and content creation on TikTok, particularly focusing on lifestyle influencers and the challenges they face in maintaining genuine self-expression. TikTok’s unprecedented growth, with over one billion users globally and exceptional engagement rates, has created an environment where authentic content paradoxically becomes increasingly manufactured and performative. Through…
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How social media has had a significant and positive impact on the fitness industry and Gen Z through the cultivation of run club communities
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Abstract Social media has had a positive impact on and revolutionised the world in which we live today. Since the advent of social media, the fitness industry has experienced substantial growth as it has allowed for greater access to information surrounding nutrition and exercise, made it easier to connect with fitness experts such as personal…
Hi Shannon Kate, You’re right to ask; it is incredibly difficult to police these issues today. Predatory behaviour isn’t exclusive…