Somewhere in the Middle

I am not a social media person.

The main reason I got Instagram nearly three years ago was so that I could follow different museums and public history organizations and see both what they were up to and how they presented themselves on social media.

But, when I think of how information is spread via technology, one of the first things that pops into my head is social media. Whether it’s Instagram, Facebook, TikTok or X (formerly Twitter), social media platforms enable their users to quickly share, like, post, and repost digital content. Although there are many positive aspects to these actions, there are also some downsides. When you type “Twitter” into the Google search bar, the current top stories (September 27, 2023) highlight EU criticism of the company for the amount of misleading information posted, with one headline declaring that “Musk’s X is the biggest purveyor of disinformation, EU official says” (AP News). A recent study conducted by the European Commission examined 6,000 social media posts from X, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok and YouTube, analyzing content for disinformation in Spain, Slovakia and Poland. In this context, the concern was centred around upcoming elections and geographical proximity to the war in the Ukraine.

But the spread of disinformation through social media in the context of studying history is also very relevant. Setting aside the issue of laws and regulations for platforms in this discussion, the rise of social media and other digital tools such as websites, podcasts and documentaries means that as consumers, we need to be able to engage critically with the content that is being presented.

Because social media and other digital platforms can be very useful tools in the public history world when it comes to connecting with a wider audience.

Both from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Tobias Ebbrecht-Hartmann (senior lecturer of film studies, German studies and visual culture) and Tom Divon (PhD student in the Department of Communication and Journalism) wrote an article that explored using TikTok to explain the Holocaust. They discussed the concept of “serious TikTok” where TikTok videos are used to talk about issues such as history, politics, sexuality, identity and other more serious topics. Many people responded positively to using TikTok to talk about the Holocaust, although there was also resistance to this idea.

For the sake of the discussion, if we can assume that TikTok videos contain accurate information and representations of the Holocaust, these videos can be a great way to present history and reach a larger (and often younger) audience. Ebbrecht-Hartmann and Divon specifically focus on the benefits of TikTok for digital storytelling, identifying the potential for a commemorative space where the public can learn about and acknowledge the events and impacts of the Holocaust. Another benefit is the opportunity for responding. Features such as hashtags, comments and responsive functions (such as the duet or stitch functions) allow the audience to enter into the conversation and respond to what they have seen.

One of the concerns with serious TikTok raised by the authors that particularly resonated with me was the larger digital context of the platform. Yes, the videos themselves may be addressing serious issues with the intention to educate, but when they are found in and among videos about dance challenges, recipes and makeup tutorials, it can be a little hard to know how to take them.

In the end, I find it hard to take a stance on social media one way or the other. I can definitely see the benefits of being able to use social media to share history and get people excited about the past—especially with less serious historical topics. But I also see the dangers of misinformation and opinions influencing how we understand the past. I think that maybe it is one of those issues that is not black or white, but rather a shade of grey somewhere in the middle.

Ebbrecht-Hartmann, Tobias and Tom Divon. “Serious TikTok: Can You Learn About the Holocaust in 60 seconds?” Digital Holocaust Memory. March 24, 2022. https://reframe.sussex.ac.uk/digitalholocaustmemory/2022/03/24/can-you-learn-about-the-holocaust-in-60-seconds-on-tiktok/

Vallance, Chris. “Disinformation most active on X, formerly known as Twitter, EU says.” BBC News. September 26, 2023. https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-66926080