This study examines how homelessness is represented on TikTok. We performed a summative content analysis on the top 200 TikTok videos with the hashtag #homelessness on July 15, 2022.
Four main content themes were developed to code the data: (1) content creators giving unhoused people money, food, services, shelter, and/or other forms of support; (2) content creators connecting with unhoused people; (3) content creators sharing their personal experiences with homelessness; and (4) portrayal of homelessness across all content. We found that content from our sample was rarely produced by those experiencing homelessness and mainly focused on those providing charitable donations rather than discussing sustainable solutions. Homelessness was mainly portrayed as affecting racialized adult men living on the street, which may further perpetuate existing stereotypes associated with homelessness.
Future research exploring content exclusively produced by unhoused individuals is warranted, including those from teenagers, young adults, women, and gender diverse individuals, to understand and improve their representation in public discourse. In order to advocate for policy changes that address the systemic factors contributing to homelessness, further efforts are needed to increase public awareness regarding the demographics of those experiencing homelessness, the underlying causes of this issue, and potential solutions.
