Evaluating Role of Instagram’s Multimedia in Connective Action Leveraging Diffusion of Innovation and Cognitive Mobilization Theories: Brazilian and Peruvian Social Unrest Case Studies

In this research, we study the role of multimedia (images and videos) in propelling connective action from two perspectives. First, we examine multimedia adoption at different stages of a social movement categorized using the Diffusion of Innovations (DOI) theory. Second, we analyze how multimedia influences cognitive mobilization, measured using engagement rates. The two perspectives help us understand multimedia’s role in online mobilization. The data compiled for this investigation includes 78,478 images, 12,967 sidecars (collection of multiple permanent images/videos), and 8,810 videos extracted from Instagram, using posts from the latest wave of demonstrations in South America, specifically the protests in Brazil and Peru spanning from November 2022 to February 2023. Our study revealed unique multimedia usage patterns across the social movements’ DOI stages. For Brazil’s anti-government social movement, although videos were adopted more than sidecars on all DOI stages, sidecars generally had a higher engagement than videos. Similarly for Brazil’s pro-government and Peru’s anti-government social movements, sidecars consistently outperformed videos in engagement rates. Our in-depth study of multi-media usage on Instagram during social movements highlights the significant roles of different multimedia types at various stages of mobilization. Our results suggest that sidecars and videos, after images, are pivotal in promoting cognitive engagement and, subsequently, cognitive mobilization. The distinct diffusion patterns witnessed in the social movements studied emphasize the importance of understanding each multimedia’s unique characteristics and their contribution to driving connective action. This study demonstrates multimedia has become an indispensable facet of modern activism. Incorporating multimedia facilitates connective action and mobilization in a systematized manner, responding dynamically to the nature and needs of the ongoing social movements.