FIRST NATIONS PEOPLE REPORT ONLINE RACISM DAMAGING MENTAL HEALTH

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have reported that online racism is significantly impacting their mental health, according to statements gathered over the past week and a half. Social media feeds of many First Nations people have been flooded with clips from a single video posted by a self-declared Australian account. The Australian Human Rights Commission has called for a digital duty of care to prevent social media algorithms from incentivising racist content. First Nations people have described the experience as "like carrying a bully in your pocket".

The prevalence of racist material on social media platforms has created an environment where Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander users face repeated exposure to harmful content. Algorithms on major social media platforms have been identified as playing a role in amplifying and spreading such material. The concentration of racist posts within short timeframes has compounded the psychological toll on affected communities. The issue extends beyond individual incidents to reflect systemic problems within platform design and content moderation practices.

The Australian Human Rights Commission's call for a digital duty of care represents a formal recognition of the need for regulatory intervention. Such a duty would establish obligations for social media companies to actively prevent their algorithms from promoting racist content. The commission's position indicates growing pressure on technology platforms to take responsibility for the real-world harm caused by their systems. Measures to implement such safeguards remain under consideration by relevant authorities.