'A Little Bubble of Friends': An Analysis of LGBTQ+ Pandemic Experiences Using Reddit Data

TL;DR

This paper analyzes LGBTQ+ experiences during the pandemic by applying LDA topic modeling and sentiment analysis to Reddit data, revealing community themes and attitudes, and exploring Reddit's role in their lives during this period.

Contribution

It introduces a novel application of LDA and sentiment analysis to LGBTQ+ Reddit communities to understand pandemic-related experiences and online community dynamics.

Findings

Identified key themes discussed in LGBTQ+ Reddit communities during the pandemic.

Analyzed sentiment shifts in LGBTQ+ online discussions pre- and during-pandemic.

Explored Reddit's role as a support space for LGBTQ+ individuals during COVID-19.

Abstract

Social media was one of the most popular forms of communication among young people with digital access during the pandemic. Consequently, crucial debates and discussions about the pandemic crisis have also developed on social media platforms, making them a great primary source to study the experiences of specific groups and communities during the pandemic. This study involved research using LDA topic modeling and sentiment analysis on data obtained from the social media platform Reddit to understand the themes and attitudes in circulation within five subreddits devoted to LGBTQ+ experiences and issues. In the process, we attempt to make sense of the role that Reddit may have played in the lives of LGBTQ+ people who were online during the pandemic, and whether this was marked by any continuities or discontinuities from before the pandemic period.