Tik Tok, Algorithms and Indigenous Content: An Analysis

Introduction

For a lot of social media users, their online life intertwines with their real life. Following family, friends, businesses, and colleagues on social media platforms like Instagram, Twitter, Tik Tok, and many more. What is especially freeing about social media is that one can go outside their real-life social circle and interact with almost anything and anyone around the world. Many social media users use these widespread information channels that is social media to share their ideas, culture, family, and much more. While Indigenous users are theoretically allotted these same freedoms, much of their content is suppressed or even subject to cyberbullying ​​(Carlson, B., & Frazer, R, 2021). Indigenous representation and reconciliation are just as important online as they are in real life. While the online world is theoretically supposed to reflect what is going on in real life, Indigenous content does not get the same treatment. This, however, is not a new phenomenon for Indigenous content in media. For years Indigenous people have been underrepresented and misrepresented in mainstream media (Moscato, D, 2016). The idea that media run by ordinary users around the world is more fair and welcoming is only half true. Social media today still has issues with Indigenous representation and protecting its Indigenous content creators. Looking at journal articles and content on social media platforms themselves, a picture of Indigenous representation on social media can be drawn. One such social media that is paving way for a new approach when it comes to Indigenous content is Tik Tok. Tik Tok actively displays Indigenous content on its front pages and pushes the content to users. Secondly, Tik Tok has partnered with Indigenous content creators to make and post Indigenous content. (Tik Tok, 2019). This is unlike any other social media. What is found on other social media platforms, however, is Indigenous political activism Carlson, B., & Berglund, J. (2021). Most Indigenous content on social media is actually social issues and political statements, from Indigenous users and many others. While this is a positive direction for Indigenous representation on social media, more must be done. Social Media platforms must do more to mitigate the hate and suppression there is of Indigenous content, perhaps taking a page out of Tik Tok’s book. More positive Indigenous content on social media platforms, from Indigenous users, and from those seeing the content would greatly help Indigenous representation on and offline. This helps eradicate stereotypes and helps protect Indigenous people’s rights.

Background

Indigenous representation and reconciliation have been discussed for decades. However, in the last five years, a lot has been done to further the teachings of Indigenous practices and cultural awareness (Lupien, P. (2020). One may even see this awareness in their own community through public Indigenous ceremonies, land acknowledgments, or even just increased conversations surrounding the Indigenous community.

The word “Indigenous” was not always used. Terms like “Indian”, “Aboriginal” and “Natives” were / still are used interchangeably to refer to the native peoples of North America and or Australia. Ie. those in communities that inhibited land before it was colonized. While many native people are okay with using multiple terms interchangeably, it is most culturally correct to use the term “Indigenous” when speaking about this cultural group. Therefore this paper will use the term “Indigenous” when possible.

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Traditional media

Indigenous people have always been around, and definitely before social media. Unfortunately, traditional media (television, radio, books, magazines) have generally done a bad job at representing Indigenous people. Cruel stereotypes, untrue facts, and the lack of Indigenous peoples are what plagued most of the traditional media for decades. The article Reassembling the Indigenous Public Sphere puts it best. “Media coverage and reporting practices serve to sustain racist ideologies, and has repeatedly found that routine journalism practices result in portrayals of Indigenous people and issues as a source of conflict, blame and deficit (Due and Riggs, 2011; Meadows,2001; Brough, 1999; Ewart, 1997; Jakubowicz, 1994; Cunneen, 1992). Such representations contribute to an environment that produces negative social and health outcomes for Indigenous people. ” (Latimore, J., Nolan, D., Simons, M., & Khan, E, 2017).

For decades Indigenous people were portrayed as less civilized, poor, or stuck in the past. Coverage of Indigenous issues was not a priority for traditional media. Indigenous people suffered in silence. However, there have always been Indigenous activists. Protests, speeches, and media appeals for Indigenous issues are not a new concept. However, in the past, this was all in the hands of the news media. News media could pick and choose what to cover and what not to cover. This is why social media is so important, it can be unfiltered and anyone can post. There is no gate to get through, all users need to do is make an account.

Social media

One way in which social media differs from traditional media is that it is not restrained to professionals. The idea is that anyone, from anywhere around the world may share information online. This breaks down the barriers of class, status, career, and race. As discussed in the previous sub-section, traditional media did not do a good job of representing Indigenous people. They were less than fair and oftentimes blatantly racist. On social media, users can post their thoughts, stories, and opinions to an audience of more than just their own community. Users can bring light to issues that the news media may not be covering. This is what makes social media powerful, and destructive.

Social media was supposed to be a new type of media, and while that is very much true, the barriers for the Indigenous community still remain. Ninety-seven percent of Indigenous users report seeing negative content online. With a significant amount of that negativity towards their, or other’s Indigenous content (Kennedy, 2022). Not only that, but Indigenous content may be suppressed compared to other content or even banned from some social platforms (Carlson, B., & Berglund, J, 2021). Could this be a repeat of traditional media? It seems social media may be less free than imagined.

Contemporary Social Media and Indigenous Content

Social media is always changing and evolving, both from the user side and from the platform’s side. Almost every social media platform uses an algorithm to generate curated content to be shown to users (Swart, 2021). This algorithm is based on the content user interacts with. Depending on the platform, content the platform pushes out will also show up to the users. For example, a company may pay a platform to share its post to a wider audience than it would normally get. Platforms can also do the opposite, they can suppress content and make it less likely for other users to see. Of course, this varies from platform to platform.

Indigenous content suppression is a sneaky way Indigenous representation can be flawed online. While the content may be posted, it might not be reaching an audience. This contributes to the continual underrepresentation of Indigenous people in media and specifically social media. Indigenous users need a safe place to use and post to social media.

Algorithms and Their Consequences

Slowly but surely more and more Indigenous content is being posted online, however, it is one thing to post it, and another for said content to be found by other users. It is tricky to figure out why certain content is pushed out by platforms and other content is suppressed. Each social media platform has its own set of rules and regulations regarding the content they allow on its site. It seems like a general rule, racism, homophobia, sexism, and a number of other hatful ideologies are banned or suppressed on social media. This leaves one to wonder if a user’s post is non of those things, why is it not being seen? If one is specifically searching for the content they are looking for they will probably find it, but why doesn’t a myriad of different content appear on a user's page? This leads back to the algorithms. If a user does not interact with Indigenous content as an example, that content will be less likely to show up. To break through the algorithm, a user needs to be aware of it in the first place. “Social media users might not always know the term “algorithm,” but might still be able to reflect on how media customize the news that they see based upon their everyday experiences” (Swart, 2021). Indigenous users should not feel suppressed or discriminated against because of an algorithm. Most social media have two different components, curated algorithmic content, and “front page” “what’s popular” content. TikTok has found a way to have a strong algorithm, yet also display Indigenous content on their homepage.

TikTok: A New Approach

Perhaps the newest and most controversial of platforms can show how Indigenous content can be shown and celebrated. TikTok has been an ally to the Indigenous community for years and has a unique approach to Indigenous representation. TikTok came out in 2018 and has since been rising in popularity. Almost immediately the platform recognized the Indigenous community that had curated on the app. In the summer of 2019, Tik Tok chose to embrace this community by hiring Indigenous users/creators to host weekly live streams about Indigenous topics (TikTok, 2019). The platform created hashtags and displayed its Indigenous content on the front page.

In November of 2021, Tik Tok had this to say during Native American Heritage Month, “On TikTok, our #NativeFamily is a vibrant community of Indigenous creators and artists who share their stories and culture on the platform through food, music, dance, traditions and more” (TikTok, 2021). They even provided a list of Indigenous creators to follow on the app, posted to their website. Here are some examples of Indigenous hashtags on the app and their reach: “The #NativeFamily on TikTok is a thriving and rapidly growing community that has amassed more than 3.8B views under #Indigenous; 3.6B views under #NativeTikTok; 2B views under #NativeTikToks; 1.5B views under #IndigenousDay; 666.5M views under #IndigenousTikTok; 129.6M views under #NativeFamily; and 5.9M view under #NativeOwnedBusiness” (TikTok, 2021).

Indigenous creators on TikTokhave even broken into the traditional media space from their work on TikTok. Last year CBC (Canadian Broadcast Company) posted an article outlining the work to two Indigenous TikTok creators. “Harrison Collin, from Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation and Morriseau, who is from Fort William First Nation are two of 30 participants in the first ever TikTok accelerator program for Indigenous creators” (Levesque, 2021). The accelerator program is for Indigenous creators to get paid to post Indigenous content on TikTok. TikTok saw its Indigenous creators as an asset to their app. So much so, that it is now possible to get paid to create Indigenous content. TikTok is the only social media platform to have this type of program specifically for Indigenous creators so far.

With all of TikTok’s support, the app has become a safe space for Indigenous users and has encouraged a community to post about their experiences. More importantly, it helps break the “settler gaze” that Indigenous content can be centered around (Carlson, B., & Frazer, R, 2020). Carlson and Frazer speak of a “settler gaze” that is often inflicted upon Indigenous content, sometimes unintentionally. This could be someone who is not Indigenous writing about Indigenous experiences or telling a story assuming one side is true or keeping Indigenous people out of the narrative.

It seems TikTok is slowly breaking this “settler gaze”. They are putting their Indigenous users up front and letting them take control of their own narrative. They are the ones educating users on various Indigenous subjects. TikTok has let the Indigenous creators create the content, not them. It would be beneficial to the Indigenous community if other social media platforms took a similar approach to Indigenous content and Indigenous content creators. Having a healthy, encouraging platform to talk about Indigenous issues helps dispel any untrue narratives. Indigenous creators must feel welcome and safe on social media platforms. The more users are exposed to positive Indigenous content, the more stereotypes and Indigenous myths can be dispelled.

The goal of dispelling these narratives online is the hope that it brings peace to the Indigenous community offline as well. While many Indigenous movements are online, a lot are offline as well. With the amount of time the average person spends on social media, it makes sense to put content online to reach the wider community.

Activism

When looking at what type of Indigenous content is posted on social media, the domineering topic is activism. This may not come as much of a surprise as Indigenous rights and reconciliation have made it’s rise in Canada and around the world. The public’s ears are finally open to the issues Indigenous people face and the dark past of Indigenous relations.

The more Indigenous issues are talked about in traditional media, the more buzz they get on social media (Carlson, B., & Berglund, J, 2021). Most Indigenous news in traditional media is covered by non-Indigenous people, by contrast, most Indigenous news/ commentary on social media is by those who are Indigenous.

For many years the Indigenous community has been fighting for their rights and reconciliation. While the mainstream media has heard them, not enough coverage has taken place. Social media is run by the people and for the most part, is unfiltered. It provides a perfect landscape for Indigenous issues to be spread and not as suppressed. Indigenous people themselves can directly comment on the issues, while also reaching a wider audience.

Many other movements such as Black Lives Matter have found success with online activism. While the Indigenous rights movements have not yet reached that scale, the potential is there. Today is the perfect social climate to spread awareness via social media as many users are willing to share things they agree with.

Cultural Resiliency

In “Cultural resiliency and the rise of Indigenous Media”, The author Moscato touches on the cultural resiliency it takes to put Indigenous content out there when many traditions are lost or dwindling. This means one needs resilience to post and promote Indigenous representation online. This rings true as Indigenous activists have been shot down by traditional media for decades. Contemporary Indigenous issues like clean water and land disputes are not new, they have been around for decades. Opening up conversations like these that are filled with racism and stereotypes can be a daunting thought. However, the younger Indigenous population seems to not shy away from any topic, no matter the stigma (Moscato, D 2016). The young Indigenous population posts on all platforms, hopeful they will get a positive response. Even Twitter, known for its mean content, is a place where Indigenous activists regularly post (Ní Bhroin, N, 2015).

Indigenous youth activists do not go unnoticed. Just this year, in 2022, the Government of Ontario recruited young Indigenous children for a promotion called the “Indigenous Youth Health Promotion and Advocacy during Covid-19” project. The goal of the project was to recruit young Indigenous people to help spread the word via social media to get vaccinated and stay safe from Covid-19. The Ontario government recognized the power social media and young Indigenous people pull.

For many activists, a big goal of social media activism is to get noticed by politicians. Many Indigenous issues are legal issues as well. For example, clean water in Indigenous communities can only be fixed if the problem is recognized by politicians or those in power. The louder the noise online, the better the chance things will happen offline. The Canadian Governemnt has long pushed aside many Indigenous issues, however, social media activism breathes new life into old issues. It combines the new generation with the old and gets Indigenous issues in the spotlight again. The traction the Black Lives Matter movement got in 2020 was due in large part to the power of social media. It is possible to get change through online activism. Indigenous youth are more empowered than ever to spread Indigenous content. Social media seems to be a new chapter in the advocacy journey. While there will always be pushback to any social movement, Indigenous issues are slowly becoming more accepted and pushed to the front of the line. Even if a user does not want to participate in political campaigns, watching Indigenous content, buying from Indigenous people, and learning more about Indigenous culture all support the community.

This means pushing social media platforms to do better. Social media platforms need to support and lift up Indigenous creators. Many activists say doing nothing is being compliant with Indigenous issues. Regardless of how accurate this statement is, it is clear the Indigenous experience on social media can and should be better.

Conclusion

Ninety-seven percent of Indigenous users report seeing negative content online (Kennedy, 2022). Indigenous content is even suppressed more often than other types of content (Carlson, B., & Berglund, J, 2021). Indigenous representation and reconciliation are just as important online as they are in real-life. It is clear that Indigenous content on social media does not get the same treatment as other types of content (Moscato, D, 2016). Indigenous representation on social media is important for positive social change and aiding in reconciliation, online and offline. Exposure to Indigenous content can help break harmful stereotypes and tropes that still linger about Indigenous people. It is imperative to the Indigenous community that platforms are welcoming and constructive places. The Indigenous community has dealt with false narratives and media suppression for far too long. Social media platforms have the power to change this and should change this. Whether it be taking bias out of algorithms or sponsoring Indigenous creators, more action needs to be taken. There is even a platform that can be used as a template, TikTok. TikTok supports and sponsors its Indigenous creators while displaying Indogenous content freely to ALL users regardless of the algorithm. The more Indigenous users feel safe and welcomed, the more Indigenous content will be posted. This is already being shown through Indigenous activism and the use of social media. Indigenous activists have found social media to be a useful tool. Imagine how useful it could be if all social media mitigated hate, and supported their Indigenous creators as TikTok does. Since the social media landscape is always changing, more research is always needed to stay up to date. Research into Indigenous content specifically can improve the social wellbeing of the Indigenous community. It also helps the larger communities learn and break Indigenous stereotypes. This is imperative to a more accepting and inclusive community outside of social media as well. Internal reviews at major social media companies may be another way to monitor Indigenous content. It should not only be up to the public to help with Indigenous representation, social media platforms need to take initiative.

Sources:

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