Abstract

In this qualitative media analysis, I accessed and deconstructed content regarding transgender individuals and topics on the popular social media app: TikTok. The objective was to understand the construction of the transgender child on TikTok. Thirty-five TikTok videos about transgender topics were collected between April and September of 2022 through multiple user accounts. Videos originated either from insider (transgender and nonbinary) or outsider (cisgender) creators. The content in this data was analyzed for its messages, whether opinion- or experience-based, regarding transgender people and concepts. Three emerging themes were extracted from the data: change, harm versus care, and traditional beliefs. TikTok content on transgender issues was not limited to one type of video (i.e., comedy skit, informative lesson, interviews, storytelling). Creators used mixed methods, such as audio, filters, and trending video formats to relay their messages and opinions to their audience. A key finding is that videos were polarized to the two extremes, one affirming and supporting transgender individuals and the other delegitimizing diverse gender identities and promoting harm against transgender individuals.