Materializing social media youth practices for algorithmic awareness

Computational thinking is increasingly relevant in technological societies, particularly within social media. Although social media use is prevalent among youth and offers a context for exploring complex digital and non-digital practices, it remains underinvestigated for computer science learning. Drawing on constructionist and post-digital approaches, this study investigated how creating tangible flowcharts of social media practices enables young people to perform computational concepts in digital and non-digital contexts. Thirty-two youths (12–13 years old), participated in a workshop in southern Germany using craft materials (i.e., instant cameras, thread, sticky notes) to create tangible flowcharts of social media content sharing practices. Data included video observations, photos, and interviews, analyzed qualitatively using the K-12 Computer Science framework concepts (i.e., algorithms, variables, control, modularity, troubleshooting). Findings show tangible flowchart creation supported performing and recognizing social media content creation as computational. Participants represented algorithms, identified variables, depicted control structures, demonstrated modularity, and reflected on troubleshooting with physical construction and discussion of their flowcharts. Additionally, by materializing these connections, the activity made abstract concepts visible, feelable, and personally relevant, highlighting computation's embeddedness in more-than-digital contexts. The research advances an approach for young people to recognize computation as more-than-digital, promising to foster responsible participation in technical societies.