Social media platforms such as Instagram or TikTok experience great popularity, especially among adolescents. The body is constantly a key player in an individual’s self-representation on social media - and TikTok is no exception (Liu, 2021). TikTok as a short video social media platform can have a significant impact on how people perceive and feel about their bodies (Rodgers & Melioli, 2016; Maes & Vandenbosch, 2022). For media educational research and practice, it is relevant to understand how the configuration of body images and media practices are established and how the representation of diverse groups in media content, including race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, ability are impacted by algorithmic systems. Social media has the potential to amplify diversity, greater range of voices, perspectives, and experiences to be represented and heard. This can lead to more inclusive and representative content, and can also foster a better understanding and appreciation for different cultures and groups. However, social media platforms, such as TikTok, have faced criticism for not doing enough to promote diversity and inclusion. There have been instances of discrimination and mistreatment of marginalized groups on these platforms, as well as a lack of representation among content creators and in the algorithms that recommend content to users (Civila & Jaramillo-Dent, 2022). There are efforts being made to address these issues, including calls for more diverse hiring practices at tech companies and efforts to raise awareness and improve the representation of underrepresented groups in data, algorithms, and content recommendations. The paper addresses the outlined problems in three steps: In the first step, a literature review is done to establish the theoretical basis at the intersection of diversity, social media and content regulation. In a second step, a systematic conceptual analysis will be unfolded in order to discuss the specific quality of face-based filters and other algorithmic features of TikTok which are supposed to promote diversity but in fact a) reinforce normalized body images, b) reproduce binary body configurations, and therefore c) shape exclusive social spaces. Finally, the third step is to clarify how media education can contribute to uncover the inversion of the intended actions and measures of the relations on platforms, content creators.

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