Abstract
This paper argues that significant inequalities continue to exist between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians despite the web providing equal opportunities for everyone. The web provides equal opportunities for participation, sharing, anonymity and social support (Dyson, 2011; Wellman & Gulia, 1997). Therefore, the web could work to benefit these disadvantaged peoples but rather adds to their suffering (Dyson, 2011; McConaghy, 2000; Petray, 2011). The significant disadvantages that Indigenous Australians continue to face because of colonisation include substance abuse, violence and deaths in custody (Petray, 2011; Shephard, 2010). This paper discusses that Indigenous Australians remain severely disadvantaged despite the equal opportunities the internet provides and their established presence on the web.
Introduction
Significant inequalities continue to exist between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians despite the internet providing equal opportunities for participation and sharing. According to Dyson (2011), Indigenous peoples have been establishing their presence on the internet since the mid-1990s through websites for health, sport, history, native authors and artists, political activism, reconnection and many other uses. They also search for information, download files and use emails for work like non-Indigenous internet users (Gaidan, 2007). Despite this active engagement, major challenges continue to affect Indigenous people (Dyson, 2011). According to Petray (2011), digital technologies foster intercultural relations like colonisation did but on a more level playing field, especially because they give disadvantaged groups the opportunity for many-to-many communication. However, the deep mistrust brought by colonisation leads some Indigenous people to view the internet as another tool for racism and disempowerment (Dyson, 2011; McConaghy, 2000). Some Indigenous people also fear the misrepresentation of their culture on the internet as many websites that appear Indigenous are produced by white imposters who are protected by the anonymity of the web (Dyson, 2011; Radoll, 2004). These fears stem from the idea that the internet is embedded with the values of the western culture that created it, and following colonisation in Australia, these values included assimilation and disempowerment of Indigenous peoples (Dyson, 2011). The most obvious challenge is gaining access to the web, as Indigenous peoples are the most disadvantaged Australians and remain in high populations in remote communities (Dyson, 2011). Despite their established presence on the web, Indigenous peoples continue to experience many disadvantages as they struggle with feelings of mistrust, fears of discrimination and lack of access, which prohibits them from capitalising on the equal participation and sharing opportunities the web offers. According to Petray (2011), Indigenous Australians continue to experience major disadvantages compared to non-Indigenous in areas such as education, employment, health and deaths in custody. The web offers many key features, like participation, sharing, anonymity and social support, which should benefit Indigenous Australians but instead leads to further examples of discrimination and disempowerment of Indigenous peoples (Dyson, 2011; Wellman & Gulia, 1997). The web provides equal opportunities for everyone, but Indigenous Australians continue to experience major inequalities despite their established presence on the web for several reasons.
History of Indigenous Australian inequality
The arrival of European colonists in 1788 marked the beginning of the inequalities Indigenous Australians continue to experience today (Shephard, 2012). The acts of violence inflicted upon Indigenous peoples by European settlers had immediate effects on population size and health (Shephard, 2012). Indigenous peoples were dispossessed and dislocated from their traditional land and culture which has had inter-generational effects, such as substance abuse, violence, mental illness, criminal offences, unemployment, homelessness, parenting struggles and loss of identity (Dodson, 2010; Shephard, 2012). Prior to colonisation, Aboriginal people were free from diseases, had a balanced diet and good health and children were cared for with a strong focus on kinship and connection to land (Shephard, 2012). However, Indigenous peoples were segregated from mainstream society and forced away from their customs, and the difficulties they continue to suffer reflect this history of exclusion (Dodson, 2010; Emsley, 2010). Not long after Australian federation in 1901, each state and territory introduced an Act that controlled and punished these people for their Aboriginality (Shephard, 2012). This began the unfair and forced removal of Indigenous kids from their family and culture (Shephard, 2012). It stemmed from the opinion that white civilisation was superior and Aboriginals were a doomed race and is now commonly known as the stolen generations (Dodson, 2010; Shephard, 2012). They also believed mixed blood or half-cast kids were redeemable, because they had some white blood, and they could provide them with better lives (Dodson, 2010). These generations have poorer overall health and education levels and higher rates of mental illness following these removals (Shephard, 2012). The current generation of Aboriginal children with a family history of forced removal display more emotional and behavioural problems (Shephard, 2012). These are some examples of the inequalities Indigenous Australians suffered after colonisation, which relates to the fact that they continue to suffer disadvantages despite the equal opportunities the web offers for participation and sharing.
Indigenous Australians and online communities
Along with providing equal opportunities for participation and sharing, the internet also offers protection through anonymity, which often disadvantages Indigenous peoples as information about their culture is misrepresented by imposters (Dyson, 2011; Radoll, 2004). White people creating websites and misrepresenting Indigenous peoples can lead to viewers forming wrong impressions of Indigenous peoples in their minds. This spread of misinformation is heightened on the web due to its key features of speed and greater connectivity (Wellman & Gulia, 1997). This anonymity may also encourage discrimination against Indigenous people as it is easier to exit problematic situations online than in face-to-face conversations (Wellman & Gulia, 1997). People can also better control their communication and presentation of self and do not have to spend time dealing with responses (Wellman & Gulia, 1997). Therefore, the protection the internet offers through anonymity can disadvantage Indigenous peoples through the creation of misleading websites about them and through anonymous profiles that choose to post racist and derogatory information or comments about these people. Webpages that are controlled by Indigenous people usually offer fair and accurate views of their culture (Dyson, 2011). Their established presence on the internet reflects their genuine desire to project their identity and history to outsiders (Soriano, 2011). Indigenous people who use the web also work to counter stereotypes about their culture (Soriano, 2011). However, their abilities to communicate their culture, identity and history to outsiders is often hindered as the internet provides protection through anonymity and white imposters misrepresent Aboriginal people online (Dyson, 2011; Radoll, 2004). The internet provides more freedom to Aboriginal people as publishers of their own stories in a space that allows equal opportunities for participation (Lumby, 2010). Digital technologies such as YouTube can empower young Indigenous peoples to share their cultures with outsiders, and 73% of Aboriginal Australians are active Facebook users (Carlson & Frazer, 2015). Compared to the 62% of the general population who use Facebook, Indigenous people prove to be highly active on social media and are over-represented users of this specific social networking site (Carlson & Frazer, 2015). According to Soriano (2011), having their own pages allows Indigenous Australians to debunk notions about their communities that are commonly projected in the mainstream media. Therefore, Indigenous people are well-established in the online community due to the equal opportunities for participation and sharing the web offers, but they still suffer considerable disadvantages due to other internet features like anonymity.
Indigenous peoples continue to face many disadvantages despite the internet providing equal opportunities for participation and sharing due to lack of access (Dyson, 2011). These peoples often lack access to digital technologies due to their remote locations, socioeconomic factors and language issues (Dyson, 2011). According to Soriano (2011), these people are particularly marginalised from government services and lack access to the mainstream media to articulate their causes and desires for equality due to their remote locations and racism. This shows that despite the equal opportunities the internet presents, Aboriginal people remain marginalised and cannot capitalise on the important functions of the web.
Along with participation and sharing, the internet also provides equal opportunities for social support, companionship and a sense of belonging (Wellman & Gulia, 1997). Despite the equal opportunities the internet offers, Indigenous Australians continue to suffer major differences in these key areas. One of the key issues for these people when going online is commercialism, which surrounds much of the internet (Soriano, 2011). Their struggles and representations of identity may be placed beside commercial advertisements on the web (Soriano, 2011). These people must determine the appropriateness of posting specific Indigenous knowledge online by consulting community elders, including those with little web access as discussed previously (Soriano, 2011). Therefore, Aboriginal people have proven that they look to the web for social support, companionship and a sense of belonging just as other people do, but due to features of the web such as commercialisation, they find themselves unable to fully participate online.
Counter-argument
The most prominent counter-argument is that the internet presents marginalised people with the opportunity to reach wider audiences, because they have limited access to and control of the mainstream media (Soriano, 2011). According to Soriano (2011), the internet is often used by disadvantaged communities, including Indigenous Australians, as “providing a voice for the voiceless”. According to Moe (2010), the role of the internet is to allow those at the periphery of politics easier access to the political core via many-to-many communication, which enables broad conversations about issues that would otherwise not gain mainstream media attention. The internet allows people to organise petitions and campaigns as well as stabilise and expand on existing support networks (Moe, 2010). Social sites open up unprecedented opportunities for voice and participation in decision-making (Dreher, McCallum & Waller, 2016). But, much international scholarship has recently suggested that participatory media does not guarantee that different voices will actually be heard by powerful mainstream media and political bodies due to the inability for authorities to listen, which sits at the heart of the failure of Indigenous policy making in Australia (Dreher, McCallum & Waller, 2016). Therefore, I continue to believe that major inequalities continue to exist between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians despite the web providing equal opportunities for everyone to participate and share.
Conclusion
Significant inequalities continue to exist between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians despite the web providing equal opportunities for everyone. The struggles that these peoples continue to deal with include substance abuse, violence, mental illness, criminal offences, loss of identity, unemployment, homelessness and parenting struggles (Dodson, 2010; Shephard, 2012). Indigenous peoples continue to struggle with these problems despite the web offering equal opportunities for participation, sharing, anonymity and social support.
References
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Hi Abbey,
This is a very interesting conference topic, I think we often see the internet as a place that is for everyone, where by everyone can find a place to feel welcome. Considering what you have written is very interesting to see the way in which the internet is used as a weapon against certain groups in order to present them to mass audiences in a negative light. whilst also considering that once online it’s easy to see how negative image representations can be immortalised forever. Once negative image and representations are out there it can be hard to repair the damage done.
Also the points you raised about the negative connotations linked to anonymity were very thought provoking, I also think that anonymity can be dangerous used in this sense where people are pretending to be a part of certain groups to tear those groups apart from the inside. It definable raises the point that everyone should take what they read online with the understanding that people can always have agendas behind anonymity.
How do you think that that discrimination of indigenous people online can be lessened?
Very interesting read.
Hi Casey,
Thanks for your great feedback and for expressing your own ideas about this issue.
Ultimately, I think lessening the discrimination of Indigenous people online must begin with a reduction in discrimination against Indigenous people offline. This includes changes in Australian policies and practices that continue to have detrimental and traumatic impacts on Indigenous peoples. Indigenous kids are still forcibly removed from their families and culture and hugely over-represented in incarceration rates.
However, the general public can get behind this cause and create change through online petitions, liking and sharing Indigenous pages, researching and becoming better educated about Indigenous history and culture and standing up against discriminatory behaviour towards Indigenous peoples online.
Thanks again for your comment.
Hi AHanley, well done on writing about an important issue. For most non-Indigenous people it is easy to just use new technologies without considering that some members of our community aren’t able to use it to its fullest extent or are being disadvantaged by it, so, excellent work on raising awareness of this fact.
I like that you have illustrated that Internet technologies are embedded with white values. It’s really important to highlight this, because we, as individuals, all have a role to play in evening out the imbalance.
People online to tend to hide behind their avatars and utilise the anonymity of these online personas to project thoughts and opinions that are unhelpful and oft times racist, hateful vitriol, which is often targeted at First Nations peoples. This is a horribly sad thing that happens online.
Would you say that the best thing we can do is report this bad online behaviour when we see it and try our best to support Indigenous initiatives online?
How else can we all contribute to Indigenous people feeling safer online?
Hi Cesarina,
Thanks for your comment!
I think reporting negative online behaviour is a great idea and something we should all do, because people should not be getting away with abusive and derogatory language in the digital era. Supporting Indigenous initiatives online is also important, however as mentioned in my conference paper, these can be hard to identify as the web feature of anonymity allows white imposters to create false webpages about Indigenous peoples. The popularity of the web makes it a significant tool for creating change, which should be used to assist not only Indigenous peoples but all disadvantaged groups in society. Supporting Indigenous initiatives online is great but we must be sure that websites are legitimate with the right intentions for our Indigenous peoples. See my suggestions for reducing the discrimination of Indigenous peoples online in the previous comment.
Have a great day! Thanks.
Hi Abbey,
I enjoyed reading your conference paper on discrimination of indigenous people online. It provides a great incite into how discrimination has moved from the physical reality to the virtual reality, but also provides a sadness at the fact that people distribute such hate online. Even worse, that people are now writing discriminatory comments anonymously.
What do you think could be done on a local, national and international to change behaviours?
Hi Aleighsha,
I love the point you make about discrimination moving from physical reality to virtual reality. Sadly, as great as the web is, it does provide another avenue for hate.
I think all levels of government must intervene by changing Australian policies and practices that impact Indigenous peoples, like the Native Title Act 1993. However, the general public can also begin to change the way Indigenous peoples are treated. This can occur through reporting negative behaviours online, creating and signing petitions that support Indigenous issues and better informing ourselves about their history and culture.
Additionally, the government and prominent social media sites could better monitor the behaviours of their people online.
Thanks.
I absolutely agree that government and social media organisations should be responsible for shutting down discriminatory content. There is a very clear difference between hate speech and free speech and organisations, businesses and government should be doing everything in their power to immediately shut down any person/group/profile/account that posts and or shares content that is discriminatory.
Thanks for your feedback. There is a clear difference between hate and free speech and governments and prominent businesses can’t deny they have the resources to monitor harmful online behaviours.
Hi there Abbey,
Wow, this conference paper really opened my eyes to how the Internet, which I always saw as an equal and open space, is still being affected by the ramifications of Australia’s past. I think you wrote about this topic in a simple yet thorough way, which is no easy task. By doing so you also made quite a few thought-provoking points.
You highlighted that the Internet is embedded with white values, which made me wonder how we change this to enable the Internet to become the equal space that everyone associates it with. Currently, remote Aboriginal communities are still lacking in access to the internet at all. Do you think if remote Aboriginal communities had increased access to the Internet, they would be able to have a chance at changing the values embedded into Social Media? Or do you think it’s ultimately the Governments job as they originally created this inbalance in this first place?
Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on this!
Thanks again for a great read.
Alice
My paper if you wish to read: https://networkconference.netstudies.org/2019Curtin/2019/05/05/web-2-0-effect-on-societys-engagement-with-activism/#comments
Hi Alice,
Thanks for your interest in my paper! I’m glad you enjoyed it. I’ll be sure to give your paper a read too!
It is very difficult for Indigenous peoples to find the right balance between maintaining traditions and culture whilst adapting to digitisation, mostly due to commercialism. But lack of access to the web in remote communities denies these peoples the opportunity to work through these difficulties and eventually find a balance.
Lack of access is a significant issue for Indigenous peoples, but often they find it isn’t the lack of opportunity for voice but rather the unlikelihood of being heard by authority figures in policy-making decisions that disadvantages them. Therefore, I think it is up to the government to change their values to be more understanding of and supportive to Indigenous peoples. This would hopefully then be reflected in the values present in our digital technologies, and Aboriginal people would feel more confident and safe in using them.
Thanks again for your comment.
Hi AHanley,
Your paper highlights some very interesting views on Indigenous Australians and their use of Web 2.0 applications. You have also done some impressive research on this important topic.
In your paper, you discuss how online representation of Indigenous people, their culture and values is not accurate – because these are often ‘misrepresented by imposters’ (Dyson, 2011; Radoll, 2004).
Since the internet offers a platform for anyone around the world to post and share their views online, even if it degrades or defames a culture, race, or an ethnic group. The people who spread wrong/ misleading information about Indigenous Australians, how do you think they can be controlled in this case?
Feel free to check out my paper here: https://networkconference.netstudies.org/2019Curtin/2019/05/07/travel-vloggers-using-social-media-to-bring-tourism-back-to-pakistan/
Hi AKahn,
Thanks for your comment! I’ll be sure to give your paper a read too!
I think the public has a responsibility to support Indigenous initiatives online whilst also reporting harmful behaviours towards Indigenous peoples. I think the government and social media sites also share this responsibility, as they should manage the behaviours of users by suspending or banning those who constantly use degrading language online.
Hi Abbey,
You have explored such an important, serious topic very well! It is unfortunate to learn that while the web has ‘revolutionised’ aspects of everyday life such as communication, it has failed to overcome issues such as inequality. It appears that the discriminatory attitudes held and shared offline have simply carried online as well, though in less identifiable ways. However, your paper has made me more aware of these inequalities and how they are evident on the web.
In line with your argument that webpages revolving around Indigenous issues are often run by non-Indigenous Australians, how am I, as a non-Indigenous Australian, able to identify when a website is not authentic? Are there any signs that would reveal this? Or is it my responsibility to treat each webpage with caution in the information they provide until I know for certain that it is credible and is created, or at the very least informed by Indigenous Australians?
Thank you for a truly compelling read,
Devyn 🙂
If you’d like to read my paper within the Communities and Web 2.0 stream, find it here: https://networkconference.netstudies.org/2019Curtin/2019/05/05/active-now-how-web-2-0-allows-for-the-formation-of-online-communities-capable-of-initiating-change-through-activism/)
Hi Devyn,
Thanks for your comment! I love hearing your insights and will be sure to check out your paper.
I believe it is safest to approach webpages claiming to be “Indigenous” with caution as non-Indigenous imposters often misrepresent these peoples online. Look out for bias language and cross-check information between several Indigenous websites. Creative Spirits (https://www.creativespirits.info/) is an example of a great source of Indigenous knowledge and culture. Pages that are run by non-Indigenous people are not necessarily inaccurate because they may seek information and clarification from prominent Indigenous peoples before posting online. This not only validates their websites but also shows respect to the Indigenous community.
Thanks again for your comment.
Hello AHanley.
Your title was very intriguing and your paper was a compelling read. As a Mauritian student who has never visited Australia and knows very little about it, your paper was very informative. However, I found some parts of your paper repetitive and I would have really liked if you could have discussed more about the online violence experienced by aboriginals. A case study could have been used to further illustrate your arguments and also for readers, like myself, with little knowledge about the indigenous population to look into to further inform ourselves.
Overall, your paper was interesting and the way you highlighted the inequality suffered by this marginalized group was very effective. According to you, how can Australians, as a community, help to make the web a more egalitarian, democratic and useful platform for the indigenous population?
Looking forward to hearing from you. If you would like to check out my paper which relates the negative impact on female identity; click on the link below:
https://networkconference.netstudies.org/2019Curtin/2019/05/06/social-media-and-its-negative-impact-on-the-female-identity/
Cheers!
Hi HJulha,
Thanks for your feedback. I really should have thought more about explaining this issue to a non-Australian audience. I’ll be sure to look at your paper too. I think we must stand up against all forms of online bullying, especially aimed at marginalised people, by reporting negative behaviour and supporting positive initiatives. I think this would allow Indigenous communities to feel more safe in the online sphere.
Hi Abbey, this paper was very informative and really highlights the issues many marginalised people such as indigenous people face in making their voices be heard. Your paper was easy to read, touched on some very niche but important points about internet culture and outlined exactly why indigenous people struggle with having their voices heard.
I think it’s very sad that groups of authority, as you say, are simply not willing to listen to the people who they are supposed to represent, of which indigenous people are a part of, and it is sad that politicians and people of power are still just as ignorant online about listening to the real issues they face. I thought your point about anonymity being a factor was interesting and absolutely true, do you think politicians should be entitled or have an obligation to respond to a certain number of comments from people online? The trouble is that it would be hard to police though which is sad.
I never thought about commercialisation being an issue preventing indigenous Australians from being heard but you are absolutely right. Would you be able to expand on what you meant in that last paragraph about commercialisation? As I’m curious to know your further thoughts on it.
Your explanation of the history of mistreatment of Indigenous Australians was very clear and concise but highlighted why Indigenous people still experience inequality today as well as stereotyping from the Australian public. Going back to your point on anonymity, the people that choose to misrepresent Indigenous Australians are certainly a huge problem and I find it disgusting that they feel they can get away with it.
Thanks for the great read, Louis
Hi Abbey!
What a great topic, and one of great importance to us all!
I agree with your point that the attitudes and treatment towards indigenous people offline must first be repaired in order to allow for equal opportunities online. I think you communicate the idea very well, that yes, the internet may technically provide equal opportunity if the society around it also allows for that. And for indigenous Australians that is not the case, you address the issues that date back many years and the issues of today that each of which play a part in lack of opportunity presented to indigenous Australians.
I wonder, do you think there could be steps taken in the online space to try and overcome these offline attitudes? If so, what do you think these could be?
Here is a link to my paper, on Facetune and the implications it has for Instagram users and influencer communities, if you would like to have a read: https://networkconference.netstudies.org/2019Curtin/2019/05/02/facetune-a-simple-photofix-or-a-more-complex-identity-problem/
I look forward to your response,
Sophie
A good read and interesting topic to discuss!
I think its interesting to also discuss that their is indeed Indigenous profiles on social media and its important that as a society we engage with them.
By communicating with the Indigenous community through online networks we can hear their voice and give them an opportunity to teach us about their community. Thus, enabling us to get involved with their community.
Its disappointing as you have discussed that although these opportunities are on hand for both communities, these issues are still apparent for the Indigenous.
Hi Abbey,
This is a very intriguing paper on an extremely under-discussed issue. As is well documented, the majority of Indigenous Australians are marginalised and negatively stereotyped in society. With the affordances Web 2.0 platforms can offer, relatively more privileged and fortunate individuals like us can easily neglect the fact these affordances are not accessible to everyone, even in a country like Australia. Aboriginal Australians in remote communities do not have the level of Internet access as what most suburban Australians have and therefore can find quite it difficult to spread their messages and opinions online.
Your point regarding how non-Indigenous users can capitalise on their relative advantages by spreading misinformation is particularly poignant. Trolls can easily post discriminatory, racist and offensive remarks towards Aboriginals without punishment through the anonymity they can hide behind. This can potentially lead to further inequality as Aboriginals with little to no Internet access cannot counteract these negative stereotypes, in addition to the potential of the content spreading rapidly through Web 2.0’s affordances.
Anyway, here is my paper if your are interested:
https://networkconference.netstudies.org/2019Curtin/2019/05/05/social-media-and-brexit-the-role-of-social-media-in-the-outcome-of-the-uks-eu-referendum/
Kind regards,
Stephen Yan
Hi Abbey
I found this paper to be a must read in the online conference since its the only paper apart of the subheading indigenous people, virtual communities and online social networks. as others have said this is a very important issue and is always current.
miss representing the indigenous community is a very dangerous thing and is disappointing. Equal opportunity is very important, understanding that the disadvantage is so apparent because of the lack of access to the internet and technology. I would love to hear your thoughts on a way to make it more accessible like a government funded way to connect these communities to the internet and technology.
Steph
Hi AHanley,
Thank you for being the only one that had contributed to this stream, it definitely was not an easy topic to unpack but I must say that you have done it well and argued very valid points on both side of the coin. I think at times, many of us are comfortable in a sense that we think we live “normal” lives, in ways such as access to internet is at times taken for granted because we are always connected or rather, reliant on it 24/7. We tend to forget that it is a privilege, which I believe really led some of us to be ignorant (and at times contribute) to the misrepresentations of Indigenous Australians on the internet. In terms of your paper, I greatly appreciate the context provided during colonisation and the definition of the stolen generation, I think at times people tend to forget the hardships and the political history in this great nation that we are so lucky to be in right now. I also found it interesting when you highlighted that there should be no differences to Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians when in relation to the internet, this is very true and it is quite disappointing and concerning that an issue like this is still relevant today.
I do have one suggestion to this paper, where you state “lack access to digital technologies due to their remote locations”, I thought the word ‘digital divide’ would fit in appropriately here.
Here are some questions too, that I am really interested in hearing your responses to!
– As a journalism student, do you think that the misrepresentation of Indigenous Australians on the internet, is very much like fake news? Additionally, do you think a solution to this can be solved by drowning fake news with a flood of real, credible news that can prove credibility? This could be ways such as citizen journalistic stories from Indigenous Australians portraying true representation, raw and real.
– Would you say that Indigenous Australians misrepresentation on the internet is very much like gender swapping in games and false identities of profiles as discussed in the other streams? If that’s the case, maybe the internet is the cause of the problem, offering anonymity to others to commit actions for negative gratifications. Would this be less of an issue before the internet existed?
Thanks again for contributing your paper!
Chris.
Hello,
Thankyou for discussing such an important topic the always needs reminding.
There is definitely a difference between bullying and freedom of speech and i think it is important for social pages to monitor closely on those comments as unfortunately, it is one of those topics that is highly talked about on the media. Football players are constantly under fire in the media for being a victim of name calling.
Do you think social media has made it worse? or do you think this issue would still continue offline?
I think the more we talk about the misrepresentation of indigenous culture the more people can open their eyes and be made aware of this issue, so thank you for writing about this.
Renee,
Here’s a link to my paper,
https://networkconference.netstudies.org/2019Curtin/2019/05/05/uncovering-all-sides-of-social-media-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly/
This was such a great read and such an important topic to be talking about. I was a little disappointed that this was the only conference paper written about Indigenous communities. You raised some very important info and I have also gained so much insights on the disadvantages that some communities face that I might take for granted myself. It’s so important in Australia that we give voices to communities that are often marginalized especially in today’s upsetting political climate where the people who are in power often overlook these issues.
Hi Ahanley,
This is a unique and informative reading. The point you make about how white people misinterpreted indigenous people stuck with me the longest. The internet had definitely created a platform where Aboriginal people can have their own saying and receive more opportunities. Having said that, I do not believe that indigenous people themselves have been able to utilise the internet to better their community image nor did they provide any support to their fellow men. How they represent themselves in real life matter so much more than on the internet. Base on my experiences, I have yet encounter any well-mannered aborigine.
It’s a great work. Thank you Ahanley.