Afrocentric Youth Perspectives of Belonging on Social Media

This thesis examines how Black African young people use social media to navigate a sense of belonging in Australia. Using a multiple-method study design and critical race analysis, this thesis argues that social media is used by African young people to self-represent and (re)claim their identities, raise awareness about anti-Black violence and engage in Black-centric communities and discourses. Ultimately, this thesis argues that social media is a significant site where Black African young people – hyper-criminalised, hyper-problematised and excluded in settler-colonial Australia – can agentially craft and cultivate belonging.