Urgent call for the social construction of reality: How Twitter conversations about the Ms. Marvel series address issues for an inclusive society

Mass Communication Program, Communication Department, Faculty of Digital Communication and Hotel & Tourism, Bina Nusantara University, Jakarta, Indonesia 11480

^* Corresponding author: samara.tabitha@binus.ac.id

Abstract

Twitter allows users to share and discuss their opinions, which creates the urgency to study how the platform shapes its users’ perspectives on diversity in the media. Media is crucial to represent shared beliefs in society. Using the process of the social construction of reality supported by Crystallization assumptions, this study aims to discover how reality is shaped by Twitter discussions about media representation in Ms. Marvel (2022), which touches on gender, racial, and religious representations of underrepresented communities in Hollywood. The scope of research focuses on Indonesia, where gender, race, and religion are considered sensitive topics. This study uses the qualitative methodology and a phenomenology approach and collects data using Twitter Advance Search, semi-structured interviews, digital observation, and literature review. Results show Twitter as a medium for digital conversations about religious representation in the series, along with race (relating to culture and ethnicity) and gender as passive topics. When users understand the context in constructing reality, discussions about different religious practices have a positive sentiment. However, to promote an inclusive and sustainable society that upholds tolerance, the objectivation and internalization stages depend on the quantity and depth of information acquired in the externalization stage.