In this episode, Alyssa, Kahmari, and Giovanna explore the intricacies of virtual communities on TikTok. They discuss various scholarly articles and personal insights into how virtual communities function as communities of practice, the impact of algorithms, and the role of influencers. Key points include the positives and negatives of TikTok's algorithm, the spread of misinformation, and the sense of community built around shared interests and influencers. They conclude that TikTok, despite its challenges, remains a significant platform for community building and learning.

References

Ito, M., Martin, C., Salen Tekinbaş, K., Odgers, C., Soep, E., Reich, J., Livingstone, S., & Ito, M. (2020). Connected learning: How the academic and social lives of teens intersect. The MIT Press.

Malik, Z., & Haidar, S. (2023). Online community development through social interaction—K-pop Stan Twitter as a community of practice. Interactive Learning Environments, 31(2), 733–751. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10494820.2020.1805773

Patel, N. (Host). (2023, October 24). Harvard professor Lawrence Lessig on why AI and social media are causing a free speech crisis for the internet [Audio podcast episode]. In Decoder. The Verge. https://www.theverge.com/23929233/lawrence-lessig-free-speech-first-amendment-ai-content-moderation-decoder-interview