Paper Type
ERF
Abstract
Social media provides content creators a unique opportunity to generate livelihood and has become a significant avenue for self-expression and income generation for a diverse array of creators. However, these platforms have been criticized for discrimination against creators from marginalized groups such as racial minorities and plus-sized creators. In August 2020, black plus-sized creators spoke out against unfair flagging of explicit content for black and plus-sized creators, following which, Instagram changed their content moderation policies to mitigate this discrimination. We examine the impact of Instagram’s policy change on engagement (likes/comments) on creators who present as black, plus-sized as compared to their white, non-plus-sized counterparts. Our results show that the policy does boost engagement for plus-sized creators, but it is important to consider the intersectional lens and examine the compounded effect of race when interpreting these results.
Paper Number
1736
Recommended Citation
Singh, Tanya; Langer, Nishtha; and Arhin, Kofi, "Empowering Voices: The Impact of Social Media Platform Policies on Amplifying Engagement for Marginalized Groups" (2024). AMCIS 2024 Proceedings. 11.
https://aisel.aisnet.org/amcis2024/soc_inclusion/social_inclusion/11
Empowering Voices: The Impact of Social Media Platform Policies on Amplifying Engagement for Marginalized Groups
Social media provides content creators a unique opportunity to generate livelihood and has become a significant avenue for self-expression and income generation for a diverse array of creators. However, these platforms have been criticized for discrimination against creators from marginalized groups such as racial minorities and plus-sized creators. In August 2020, black plus-sized creators spoke out against unfair flagging of explicit content for black and plus-sized creators, following which, Instagram changed their content moderation policies to mitigate this discrimination. We examine the impact of Instagram’s policy change on engagement (likes/comments) on creators who present as black, plus-sized as compared to their white, non-plus-sized counterparts. Our results show that the policy does boost engagement for plus-sized creators, but it is important to consider the intersectional lens and examine the compounded effect of race when interpreting these results.
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