The Real Cancel Culture: Racial Bias and Injustice on Social Media

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

4-20-2025

Abstract

This multi-study project employs structuration theory to examine how social constructions (identities), media structures (algorithms and newsfeeds), and human agency (attitudes and behaviors) shape racial bias on social media. First, a survey of Black users (N = 1,718) reveals 74% report experiencing racial bias on the platforms. Next, an experiment with a diverse participant sample (N = 625) uncovered a significant disconnect between users’ stated preferences for diverse racial justice perspectives and their actual engagement behaviors, which are guided by both implicit and explicit biases. Finally, a field experiment and content analysis (N = 1,600) demonstrates engagement with racial justice content triggers Instagram’s algorithm to systematically exclude cross-cutting posts, effectively segregating users into tribal enclaves. Nevertheless, racial bias persists: Black users remain vulnerable to prejudice and attacks through a variety of interactions, including new connections, algorithmic recommendations, and microaggressions. These findings affirm structuration theory’s core principle that meaning, power, and behavior are co-constructed through ongoing interaction. Even in curated, digital spaces, experiences are continuously negotiated through the recursive interplay of media structures and human agency, reinforcing the persistence of racial bias.

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Originally published in the Howard Journal of Communications

Publication Title

Howard Journal of Communications

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1080/10646175.2025.2492114

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