“‘My body, my choice’ or ‘Your state, your decision’: An analysis of the TikTok comment section regarding the attitudes of the community towards the overturn of Roe v. Wade in June 2022”
On February 3, 2025, Anna Hercher successfully defended her Geolingual Studies focused bachelor’s thesis, “‘My body, my choice’ or ‘Your state, your decision’: An analysis of the TikTok comment section regarding the attitudes of the community towards the overturn of Roe v. Wade in June 2022”, at Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg. Supervised by Prof. Dr. Biewer, her presentation sparked an engaging discussion on ideological polarization in digital discourse.
Using the Appraisal Theory to analyze speech, this thesis explored the opinions of the TikTok community over the June 2022 overturning of Roe v. Wade. The study illustrates how ideological polarization appears in digital settings by looking at comments of TikTok videos representing pro-choice, pro-life, and ‘neutral’ viewpoints.
Key findings show that user conversation is dominated by judgmental attitudes, with harsh language and negative polarity commonly used, especially when talking about fetal rights and physical autonomy (two of the key arguments identified for each ideological stance in this thesis). The results also show that TikTok's algorithm and user interaction create ideological echo chambers, where users are more likely to come across viewpoints that support their own, hence deepening polarization. Furthermore, the study demonstrates how emotional involvement intensifies forceful speech, with the strongest reactions occurring in debates concerning physical autonomy and the sanctity of life.
The study's conclusion addresses the wider societal ramifications of digital influence on divisive topics like abortion and offers tactics to promote more inclusive and fruitful discussions. To promote complex conversations, these include algorithmic changes, platform design enhancements, and a greater emphasis on multimodal communication.
Abortion laws by state in the USA (2024)
Reproductive Rights (2024), abortion laws by state. https://reproductiverights.org/maps/abortion-laws-by-state/
