Exploring the Interplay of Visual Media and Protest through Mixed-Methods and Computational Analysis: A Case Study of Fridays for Future and Last Generation

Social movements are increasingly utilising digital spaces and social media as a foundation for networking, expressing public critique, and articulating political and societal demands. Images and videos shared on social media play a central role in shaping protests and contribute to the emergence of complex protest forms both online and offline. However, what are the implications of this new visibility on social media for the protest cultures of social movements?

This paper examines the role of digital spaces and images for contemporary climate movement groups such as “Last Generation” and “Fridays for Future.” It explores the connections between photographs, videos, media-driven image practices, and the evolving forms of protest. To understand the significance of digital images for these movements and the transformation of their protest cultures, a mixed-methods approach is employed, combining qualitative and quantitative methods, alongside visual, computational, and sociological approaches.

The analysis focuses initially on images published by the selected groups on Instagram between 2021 and 2024. Using computational analysis, the study identifies which types of images recurrently dominate communication strategies and which visual elements shape the self-image and protest culture of these climate movements. Additionally, photo-based interviews with movement members are conducted to examine the simultaneity of online and offline protests. The analysis is further enriched by participant observations of both street and digital protests.

The theoretical framework is grounded in the sociology of knowledge, visual studies, and communicative constructivism. Furthermore, research on social movements and digitalisation provides a theoretical backdrop, drawing on the works of scholars such as Hubert Knoblauch, Simon Teune, Nicole Doerr, and Alice Mattoni.