tikslum

Tikslum is a term used in digital media studies to describe the production and circulation of short-form video content on TikTok that involves or depicts residents of informal settlements, often referred to as slums. The word combines TikTok with slum, signaling an intersection of platform culture, urban poverty discourse, and user-generated storytelling.

Origins and usage: There is no single authoritative definition of tikslum. The term appears in academic articles and journalism as a heuristic to discuss how creators from marginalized urban spaces use TikTok to document daily life, labor and informal economies, and to engage a global audience. It also covers the ways viewers respond through comments, duets, and remixes.

Content and themes: Tikslum videos commonly cover housing and sanitation conditions, street vending, transit, schooling, family life, and community networks. Styles range from observational documentation to performative or satirical framing, with creators using music, captions, and on-screen graphics to convey information, critique policy, or mobilize support.

Criticism and debates: Critics warn that tikslum can exoticize poverty, sensationalize suffering, or reduce complex social realities to spectacle. Proponents argue that it increases visibility for residents, democratizes storytelling, and can attract resources, opportunities, and solidarity for communities that are otherwise overlooked.

Related concepts include digital ethnography, platform capitalism, slum tourism, and participatory media.