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

Comments

One response to “A2: Conference Paper Presentation – Montana Puckeridge”

1. 

   sarahmooney

   29/04/2026

   Hi Montana,

   Thank you for sharing your presentation. You make some strong points about how LGBTQ+ identities engage with social media to build communities. I found your discussion about platform challenges LGBTQ+ identities face really thought-provoking.

   Below are my questions:

   You mention storytelling, specifically digital testimonios, as a method LGBTQ+ identities leverage to forge community on social media. Do you think one reason The Queer Muslim Project chose Facebook to build their online community initially is that the platform affords users a greater word limit compared to other platforms, thereby encouraging them to share experiences in more detail?

   In my research, I noticed a large LGBTQ+ counterpublic exists on Substack, improving queer visibility. However, given the network’s size, highly active individuals within the counterpublic, like @imogenrose97, have created nodes within it, functioning as “influential peers” to facilitate active discourse with users and extend direct support, building smaller, more personal communities. In relation to The Queer Muslim Project, which now has more than 50,000 Instagram followers, do you think it has evolved into a counterpublic in which “influential peers” are building smaller communities within?

   You make a really perceptive observation about how LGBTQ+ users negotiate the affordances of social media platforms, often migrating between them, to avoid networked harassment based on their sexuality. Something I noticed while researching and watching other presentations is how social media algorithms make it harder to circumvent online hate speech, often amplifying it, but also enable users to connect with a far larger network, allowing them to engage with positive and supportive people, too. With this in mind, do you think algorithms will be a part of social media platforms in the future?

   I look forward to chatting soon,
   Sarah

   Reply