This is Africa: How young African TikTok trends challenged Afropessimism during COVID-19

Abstract

Afropessimism, or the western media tradition of covering Africa in stereotypically negative ways, has continually served to strip the continent of representational nuance and agency. While Africa experienced its own COVID-19 challenges during the pandemic, the Afropessimistic outlook of total collapse and carnage did not become a reality. In fact, with the popular uptake of TikTok as the pandemic wore on, Africans began social media trends that kept many globally entertained as they navigated new lockdown realities. This study looks at three of these TikTok trends, namely #JerusalemaChallenge, #DontRushChallenge and #DontLeaveMeChallenge. Through textual analysis, the study explores if and how these trends provided counternarratives to Afropessimism. With dominant themes such as humour and dance emerging, findings suggest that these trends offered content that can be read as contributing to challenging Afropessimism through cultivating African digital agency and representation.