Social Media, Communities, & Networks Conference 2026: Semester 1 & SP1

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2 responses to “From Awareness to Belonging: Squirmy and Grubs and Disability Community on TikTok- Idea Phochaiya”

1. 

   18759413

   30/04/2026

   OMG! I used to see them a lot on social media! they still going strong!?
   I used to follow their story/content on Youtube and Instagram years ago, up until they got married! Very sweet couple! Love the topic choice 🙂 Even their title/ name “Squirmy and Grubs” I always found humorously endearing. Might start checking them up again out of interest. Thanks!

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2. 

   21449053

   01/05/2026

   Your presentation was well supported and researched! I think the concept of disability communities growing out of more than just advocacy is interesting . Good Job!

   Question 1
   I really like how you explained TikTok’s affordances, especially things like the For You Page, duets, and stitch and how the affordances change the way people view their videos. I’m wondering why do viewers see this as just a normal couple video instead of a disability video? Do you think there might be a negative side to them disregarding Shane’s disability or not mentioning it when engaging with their platform ?

   Question 2
   You’ve used ideas like imitation publics and clustered publics really well, and it makes your case study feel well researched. But I’m curious about power here, As you have said the algorithm shows people what they like based on their previous interests, so do you think it quietly favours certain versions of disability, like the funny or relatable ones, over others? And if that’s the case, what does that say about visibility and representation on the platform?

   Question 3
   There can be moments of negativity and bullying on an app like tik tok due to the anonymous nature of the app , although the comments are negative, could they actually be part of how the community is built? And how do those moments of pushback turn viewers into active participants rather than just people watching from the sidelines?

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