This semester, I've been deeply involved in an ethnographic study focused on the Aussie Nostalgia niche within social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram. As emphasised by Leon Anderson, it's imperative for a researcher to immerse themselves in their chosen field both as a content consumer and a creator (Anderson, 2006). The concept of nostalgia has always held a universal appeal; it's psychologically ingrained in us (Mahr & Csibra, 2020), and has recently gained increased attention as a coping mechanism in our fast-paced and unpredictable lives.
As I've grown older, I've found myself increasingly susceptible to nostalgia's allure, a sentiment that is evidently shared by many, given its integration into contemporary marketing strategies. My personal experiences led me down a rabbit hole of old ABC3 content—a channel that served as a daily entertainment source for about 65% of young Australians without access to Foxtel or AusStar (ACMA, 2015). My autoethnographic research shifted my initial perception of the Aussie Nostalgia niche from a mere repository of past memories to a complex emotional landscape. To share these happy emotions, I created 'ABC3Archives,' an online persona through which I post curated clips of old ABC3 shows, ads, and identifiers on TikTok and Instagram.
@abc3archives OMG who remembers Sadie J?? #abc3#abc3shows#aussienostalgia#sadiej ♬ original sound - ABC3 Archives
While the niche is mainly populated by smaller accounts, it has also attracted the attention of the original content creators, such as the newly launched ABCZAUS account by the ABC, aimed directly at this nostalgic audience. Unlike other accounts, my 'ABC3Archives' seeks to offer a comprehensive collection of ABC3 nostalgia, serving as a one-stop destination for those looking to reminisce (Creator Economy, 2023).
The methodology behind this research combines observational studies with academic and web-based research to provide a well-rounded analysis. Additionally, I've spent the semester analysing and identifying how my personal experiences and preferences impact my research into this niche, to ensure a fair and neutral research (Rohner, et al., 1973).
Challenges and Opportunities in Curating Nostalgic Content
Curating nostalgic content presented unique challenges and opportunities. The first hurdle was identifying existing content to share. My search was aided by YouTube playlists created by like-minded individuals, full of old ABC3 shows. Once I posted clips that resonated with me, my audience began requesting specific content, creating a symbiotic relationship that shaped my posting strategy.
Securing permissions to share these clips was another challenge. Many of the agencies that had collaborated with ABC3 had either dissolved or rebranded, complicating my search for the original creators. However, responses to my emails sometimes included valuable historical context and guided me to the right contacts, as ABC3 primarily worked with a few key agencies during their operations.
Lastly, the format in which to share the content became a test. Nostalgia relies on the strength of the viewer's memory, so I developed a minimalist template for sharing horizontal TV footage on vertical platforms like TikTok and Instagram Reels (Herskovitz & Crystal, 2010), always crediting the original creators—a practice I noticed was often overlooked. The goal with a minimalist design was to ensure the content was the centrepiece, and not to create any distractions which could alter a viewers ability to remember the content.
@abc3archives Splatalot then GGSP on Saturday mornings 🤌🏼🤌🏼 #abc3 #abc3shows #aussienostalgia #splatalot ♬ original sound - ABC3 Archives
The Power of Nostalgia in Building a Community
One of the most rewarding aspects of my research has been witnessing the incredible power of nostalgia in creating a cohesive and engaged community (Barcus & Shugatai, 2022). My TikTok account, which now boasts around 15,000 followers, has become a hub for shared memories and emotional connections. People frequently comment about how the clips I post trigger specific memories from their childhood, creating a stronger and more interactive community.
Ethnographic skills comparing and contrasting have allowed me to distinguish the varying levels of community engagement between TikTok and Instagram (Moore, 2023), shedding light on the unique characteristics of each platform. What I found particularly fascinating was that TikTok proved to be a far more effective platform for cultivating this sense of community compared to Instagram, which lacked the same level of engagement. TikTok's unique culture of sharing movie and TV clips has even shifted the way people consume films today. Despite the looming issue of copyright, these clips gain massive attention, with some even exceeding a million views (Weaver, 2023). This could be due to TikTok (2017) only being a young social media platform, compared with Instagram (2010), (Destination Digital, 2022).
An interesting anomaly I've observed involves the presence of 'regulars' who consistently interact with my posts. In a social media landscape dominated by algorithms that usually fragment communities (Bhandari & Bimo, 2022), this level of consistent engagement is noteworthy. It suggests that these viewers are either making the effort to search for my content specifically or that TikTok's algorithm is working in my favour by promoting my posts to those who engage frequently (Cuesta-Valiño, et al., 2022). After comparing with similar accounts within this niche, I observed that this wasn't a very common occurrence.
Brent Barnhart
The Role of Different Platforms in Shaping Audience Engagement and Content Visibility
A recurring concern throughout my project has been the ethical and legal implications of copyright, as I'm sharing content that I don't own. To address this, I've made a point to credit the original creators in my posts (Kaye, et al., 2021). This serves a dual purpose: it differentiates my account from others that don't give credit, and it also puts me on safer ground in terms of copyright compliance. The skill of problematising has been particularly useful in identifying the ethical and legal challenges associated with curating content in this niche.
Both TikTok and Instagram have mechanisms for copyright protection, but they function differently. On Instagram, I encountered numerous instances where my posts were flagged for copyright infringement. To navigate this, I began sourcing my clips directly from the original creators to avoid triggering Google's ContentID system, an invisible code tagged throughout videos to identify original content. I also stopped posting the same content on both my TikTok and Instagram. While I initially faced challenges with posts being flagged for copyright infringement on Instagram, the skill of flexibility allowed me to adapt my approach effectively to the point where i no longer am receiving copyright flags.
However, the most striking difference between the two platforms was in their content-sorting algorithms. Instagram's algorithm seems to favor larger, more established accounts, pushing their content to the top of users' feeds. This made it challenging for my smaller account to gain traction, often struggling to receive 10 likes per video. In contrast, TikTok's algorithm appears more equitable, allowing even smaller accounts a fair shot at visibility. My autoethnographic field notes confirmed this observation:
This difference in algorithmic behaviour had a noticeable impact on the engagement levels of my accounts on the two platforms (Eg, et al., 2023). It's also worth mentioning that a general decline in Instagram engagement has been reported across multiple communities, adding another layer of complexity to the issue.
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