Week 4: The Revival of Hashtags and the Algorithmic Deities Ruling Social Media?
Two weeks ago, I introduced a blog talking about the death of hashtags...
Well, I guess they aren't truly dead, at least according to one of the articles I selected to read this week. This article, 'Folk’ in the Age of Algorithms: Theorizing Folklore on Social Media Platforms, explored the folklore surrounding social media algorithms and how users interpret these systems that shape what content gets seen online. As I was reading, I could not help but draw a comparison to one of my favorite fantasy worlds: Tamriel, as featured in the Elder Scrolls Universe.
Before we begin, let me set the stage: Imagine a world inhabited by powerful entities capable of influencing the thoughts, actions, and experiences of millions. Most people know these beings exist, but very few truly understand how they work. They operate according to a set of hidden rules, rewarding some followers while ignoring others. Entire communities have formed around interpreting their will, sharing stories, rituals, and advice on how to gain their favor. Those seeking recognition often make offerings and perform specific rites in the hopes of being noticed.
For those of you familiar with the Elder Scrolls series, your mind probably jumped immediately to the Daedric Princes. For everyone else, don't worry; the comparison will make sense soon enough.
Within this fantasy universe, Daedric Princes are powerful supernatural beings who each represent a particular domain or aspect of existence. While their influence can be felt throughout the world, their true motives and methods are often mysterious. As a result, followers develop traditions, rituals, and even entire cults dedicated to understanding these entities and earning their favor.
While we don't have confirmation of powerful supernatural beings impacting our own world, we do have mechanical "beings" influencing our digital ones. Social media algorithms quietly determine what content rises to prominence and what content fades into obscurity. Most users know these systems exist, but very few understand how they actually work. As a result, creators have developed their own folklore surrounding these algorithms, sharing theories, strategies, and rituals designed to increase their chances of being seen. According to this week's reading, these beliefs become just as important as the algorithms themselves, shaping how people create and share content online.
This is where my thoughts returned to hashtags. Three weeks ago, I argued that hashtags were becoming less relevant as recommendation algorithms took over the role of content discovery. However, after reading this article, I am beginning to wonder if hashtags simply changed jobs. Rather than helping users find content, hashtags may now function as a type of ritual offering: something creators present to the algorithm in hopes of gaining favor and visibility. Better yet, I decided to put this to the test! Below are analytics from three videos posted this week on my account, showing the views over time.
Analytics 1: Analytics 2: Analytics 3:
Each of these videos were posted at the same time (6pm on a weekday). The only difference was the method of caption and hashtag used. One used no hashtags, one used hashtags, and the other used longer descriptive captions. Can you guess which is which?
Analytics 1 USED hashtags! Analytics 2, did not. And surprisingly, analytics 3 used NO hashtags, but rather had a long, descriptive caption. Looking at these results, I cannot confidently say that hashtags helped or hurt performance. In fact, the post with the strongest performance was the one that relied on a longer descriptive caption rather than hashtags. If anything, this small experiment left me with more questions than answers. If hashtags are no longer the primary tool for content discovery, why do so many creators continue to use them?
According to the article, this uncertainty is exactly where folklore begins. When people encounter a powerful system whose inner workings are largely hidden, they begin sharing stories, observations, and theories to make sense of it. Honestly, I see this all the time on social media. Every other day, I come across a creator claiming they have finally cracked the code. "Don't use hashtags anymore!" "Actually, hashtags are making a comeback!" "Captions don't matter!" "It's all about watch time!" "The algorithm only cares about engagement!"
The funny thing is that everyone seems to have a different answer, and they are all convinced they are right.
As technology continues to evolve, the factors that influence success online seem to change just as quickly. We know the algorithm is there. We know it influences what content gets seen. Beyond that, however, most creators are left piecing together clues and comparing notes in hopes of figuring out what is really happening behind the curtain.
The more I reflected on this, the more it reminded me of the Daedric Princes from Skyrim. Followers of these powerful entities rarely understand exactly how their chosen Prince operates. Instead, they rely on stories, traditions, and rituals passed down through their communities. They perform specific actions because someone before them claimed it worked. Modern content creators are not all that different. We gather in our own digital communities, share theories, compare results, and perform our own rituals in hopes of earning favor from an entity we barely understand.
With all this in mind, I am no longer convinced that hashtags are dead. Instead, I think they have simply evolved. They may no longer serve as the primary way users discover content, but they continue to occupy an important place in the rituals creators perform when publishing online. Whether those rituals actually influence the algorithm is difficult to determine. More importantly, however, creators believe they do.
Perhaps social media creators are not so different from the followers of Skyrim's Daedric Princes after all. Both seek favor from powerful entities whose inner workings remain mysterious. Both rely on stories, traditions, and rituals passed down through their communities. And both continue searching for answers, even when no one can say for certain what truly works. Unless you are a dragonborn and can actively talk to these deities, sadly which none of us are...
At the end of the day, maybe hashtags did not die. They simply became offerings left at the altar of the algorithm. Until next time! ✌
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