"Being connected to my Shuswap family in the south": a reflective inquiry into the social media experiences of Indigenous youth in Northern and rural British Columbia

Abstract

This research extends and explores two key concepts. First, cultural preservation is important to Indigenous health and wellbeing. Second, when Indigenous youth spend quality time (whether online or offline) on issues pertaining to their identity and sense of self, that time can be key to preserving Indigenous cultures. This research project was an exploratory study carried out using a variety of research methods, including online surveys, semistructured interviews, and open ended storytelling engagements. In this study, youth ages 15 to 24 years interacted with one another in online and offline spaces, which in some cases served as culturally safe wellbeing sites where their self-esteem increased, especially if they were mentored by Indigenous peers and adults. This study found out that Indigenous youth are active social media users and engage in all kinds of activities including self presentation, social connections, cultural activities, and advocacy. The risks and benefits of using social media for identity expression and cultural engagement were identified, but some youth were noted to require supports to engage safely on social media to derive maximum benefits. The interdisciplinary nature of the research merges concepts, theories, and ideas from First Nations Studies, Sociology, Community Health, and Media Studies. This project embraced methodologies employed in these various disciplines but used a Two-Eyed Seeing framework as a tool to ensure cohesiveness in the research and respect for Indigenous cultures and cultural protocols. The research ultimately unfolded using lenses of both Indigenous and nonIndigenous worldviews, which I believe contributed greatly to the richness of the findings.

Self-esteem and Social Media Dependency: A Comparative Analysis of Welsh- and English-Medium Pupils’ Perceptions

“…Importantly, it is shown that societal recognition of an individual's minority language increases self-esteem (Baker, 2003;Csata, Hlatky, & Liu, 2022;McDermott & Craith, 2022), and this has been demonstrated within the social media context, also (Odulaja, 2021). Although Chapter Two goes into greater detail, it is possible a FLW perceiving fewer opportunities to use Welsh on social media might consider his or her first language not fully recognized by society, thereby reducing level of self-esteem (e.g., Baker, 2003).…”

“…In addition to the above possible reason why FLWs might use social media more, there exist numerous other reasons why a FLW might use social media more often. Odulaja (2021) observed how use of one's native language on social media promoted self-esteem, which is suggestive of an intrinsic human need. This would make sense when one considers Maslow's (1943) hierarchical needs model, which is a five-tiered model moving from an individual's lowest order needs (physiological needs relating to air, water, food, shelter, sleep, etc.)…”

“…However, there are a number of reasons why FLWs might engage in greater social media usage such as to achieve linguistic parity with the majority language, to increase level of self-esteem, etc. (Odulaja, 2021;Maslow, 1943;Lane, Do, & Molina-Rogers, 2022;Gonzales et al, 2021;Yusupova, 2022).…”

“…goes into greater detail, numerous reasons have been suggested why FLWs might be susceptible to SMD compared to FLEs; for instance, Odulaja (2021) observed how use of one's native language on social media elevated level of self-esteem, which is suggestive of a basic human need and ties in with Maslow's (1943) needs hierarchy that identified esteem needs as one of the principal needs humans strive to achieve. Combining Odulaja and Maslow, it might be appreciated why speakers of minority languages might be encouraged to use social media more than speakers of majority languages.…”

“…As previously stated, the concept of societal recognition of one's minority language equating to a higher level of self-esteem for the minority group has received support (Baker, 2003;Csata, Hlatky, & Liu, 2022;McDermott & Craith, 2022;Odulaja, 2021). With the exception of Odulaja (2021) who showed that use of one's native language on social media promoted self-esteem, no studies have examined minority language recognition within the social media context and any association with first language speakers' self-esteem levels. Acknowledging that not all FLWs use Welsh within the on-and off-line contexts (due to language choice, etc.)…”