Social Media Influence On Indigenous Australians

Australian media has always been a prevalent force associated with Indigenous Australians. Ever since the mass spread of information through media was invented, it has been used as both a negative and positive way to promote certain agendas. Social media is also a mechanism that is changing the way Indigenous Australians interact and use media, and has had an important impact on Indigenous Peoples around the world. Despite many changes for the better in regards to how the media is used to influence society, there is still a lack of appropriate representation of Indigenous Australians on television and other media outlets when compared to the representation of white Australians. There are many problems remaining today in remote Indigenous communities, …show more content…
Social media has become a major contender for the way information is spread. Facebook, twitter, online news, YouTube, and other easily accessible resources have changed the way information can be obtained and used. Political awareness is one of the ways social media is changing the lives of Indigenous Australians and other Indigenous peoples around the world. In New Zealand, the Indigenous population participate less than the European New Zealanders despite both online and compulsory voting (Waitoa, Scheyvens, Te Rina 2015). Due to the disempowerment of these individuals, especially the Indigenous peoples in colonised countries, actively being involved with politics and political awareness can be challenging (Waitoa, Scheyvens, Te Rina 2015). Social media can make a huge difference to these people. Through outlets such as Facebook, social media can allow Indigenous Peoples to connect to other groups and develop their own political awareness. Some elders, also, have other concerns over social media, claiming that having knowledge in a public domain can lead to misappropriation and commercial gain (Waitoa, Scheyvens, Te Rina 2015). While these concerns are valid, the advantages of social media, in particular among young Indigenous peoples, is a positive development. With many remote Indigenous communities in both Australia and around the world now being able to access the internet, social …show more content…
There is, however, still progress that can be made, and through many initiatives and projects being produced to correct the misrepresentation of Indigenous Australians, this progress will be able to continue. Remote communities having access to their own television stations, people of colour on television shows, and connections through social media are all examples of how the media is adapting to bridge the gap that has been formed through misrepresentation of Indigenous Australians in the past. In conclusion, Indigenous Australia and the media is a growing relationship that is capable of giving Indigenous peoples a voice that will reach Australia wide, and can portray Australia as the multicultural society it