Behind the Trend: An Examination of Primate Content on TikTok

Abstract

Social media platforms today are teeming with images of wildlife as pets, and studies have emerged investigating the role social media plays on the public's perception of primates and their desirability as pets. This study explores the presentation of nonhuman primates and video engagement, defined as user interactions through likes, comments, shares, and views, on the social media platform TikTok. We examined 1378 videos from 173 different TikTok content creators sharing primate videos. Most content depicted primates within a household (43.1%), indicating they are often shown in the context of being pets. This is cause for concern because the portrayal of primates in anthropogenic settings or in contact with humans makes them more desirable as pets to viewers. We also found significant differences in engagement rate based on the location of the video and the species of primate present. Households, zoos, sanctuaries, and wild settings received higher levels of user engagement than other captive or exploitative settings. Smaller primates, mostly platyrrhines, were also found to be more engaging than other species. When variables were clustered using a Multiple Correspondence Analysis, we compared the newly created dimensions against engagement rates using a correlation matrix. We found weak, but significant correlations, with themes representing higher human or anthropomorphic influence receiving better engagement. Because social media can be a source of powerful influence on viewers, rampant presentation of primates as pets or in anthropogenic settings is concerning from a conservation and welfare perspective. However, content from zoos, sanctuaries, and field researchers with imagery representing primates in accredited captivity or in their natural habitats could potentially discourage audiences from regarding primates as making appropriate pets. In turn, this could establish a pathway for TikTok to pivot from being a threat to becoming a tool in primate conservation.