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

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One response to “How social media affordances shape and rebuild the LGBTQ+ Harry Potter fandom on TikTok – Claire Braberry”

1. 

   juliet.nugent

   07/05/2026

   Hi Claire!!
   I really enjoyed your presentation on “How social media affordances shape and rebuild the LGBTQ+ Harry Potter fandom on TikTok”!! It was very informing and I loved how you went into to detail about the affordances of TikTok and the Harry Potter Fandom.

   Question 1. You discussed how queer fans are making LGBTQ+ edits of the characters from Harry Potter in order to criticise J.K. Rowling. How does this function as a form of identity expression, rather than just being creative with the story? How does this help build or strengthen communities within the queer users online?

   Question 2. You discussed hashtags and through the article by (Cotter, 2019) you explored how TikTok categorise content and shape what is presented back to users. This suggests that TikTok’s algorithm makes certain content more visible than others. How do you think this affects which voices are most visible within the LGBTQ+ Harry Potter fandom on TikTok? How may this highlight whose opinions are highlighted and how discussions around the fandom and J.K. Rowling are shaped?

   Question 3. In your PowerPoint of comment sections on TikTok, you highlighted how users’ express their views about J. K. Rowling. In the examples you had shown they were a wide range of different opinions. To what extent do these interactions build community, versus creating conflict and arguments due to having opposing viewpoints?

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