“Living in an Alter World:” Pagsusuri sa Pagtatanghal ng Sarili at Pook-Pangkabuhayan ng mga Alter sa Mundo ng X (Dating Twitter)

Authors

• Tracy Valerie E. Dumaraos, De La Salle UniversityFollow
• Ryan P. Reyes, Polytechnic University of the PhilippinesFollow
• Leslie Anne L. Liwanag, De La Salle UniversityFollow

Keywords

alter, lgbtqia+, social media, sex industry, self-expression

Abstract

X (formerly Twitter) is among the top five most utilized social media services in the Philippines. It serves as one of the most prolific virtual communities for the LGBTQIA+ community (Statista, 2022). Unknown to many, the Alterverse community in X was created because of the need for many gay males to freely express themselves on a particular platform. Using content analysis with the intention of studying specific groups, such as the Alters of X as social media users, this paper probes the current state of the Alter world after COVID-19. It was discovered in the study that the alter world is not exclusive to gays because of the varied presence of heterosexual content creators, resulting in the design of alter accounts exhibiting a different feature. The study shows that self-expression is the primary reason homosexual content creators establish alter accounts, whereas providing service using oneself in exchange for financial gains is the primary aim of heterosexual alter content creators. From this paper, it is evident that there is a presence of both homosexual and heterosexual content creators in the world of Alterverse in X. However, while both display similar actions, they differ in their goals. This result may be used in a deeper study on the lives of Alters.

Recommended Citation

Dumaraos, Tracy Valerie E.; Reyes, Ryan P.; and Liwanag, Leslie Anne L. (2024) "“Living in an Alter World:” Pagsusuri sa Pagtatanghal ng Sarili at Pook-Pangkabuhayan ng mga Alter sa Mundo ng X (Dating Twitter)," Social Sciences and Development Review: Vol. 16: No. 1, Article 1.
Available at: https://scholar.pup.edu.ph/ssdr/vol16/iss1/1