Digital Youth Activism on Instagram: Racial Justice, Black Feminism, and Literary Mobilization

In a study published in the journal Journalism and Media, researchers from the University of Coimbra explored the impact of social media activism on racial justice and Black feminist thought, using the example of Marley Dias' Instagram activism. The study analyzed 744 posts published between 2016 and 2025, finding that Dias' strategic use of Instagram's features and focus on themes such as diversity in literature, girl empowerment, and educational advocacy sparked significant engagement and mobilization among youth. The research highlights the potential of digital literacies to reshape public discourse and agency in the social media age.

Key Takeaways:

• The study analyzed 744 posts published between 2016 and 2025 from Marley Dias' Instagram account, finding that her activism promotes racial justice, Black feminist thought, and youth mobilization through digital storytelling, representation, and audience engagement.
• The research identified five key themes central to Dias' activist work: diversity in literature, lack of girl empowerment, racial justice, Black representation, and educational advocacy.
• Posts that focused on identity, aesthetics, and empowerment garnered the highest levels of engagement, while posts that concentrated on structural issues received lower, yet still significant, interaction.
• The study argues that Dias' Instagram account serves as a dynamic platform for youth-led Black feminist resistance, where cultural production, civic education, and emotional impact converge.
• The research concluded that Dias' activism demonstrates the political potential of digital literacies and encourages a reconsideration of how youth-driven digital activism is reshaping contemporary public discourse, agency, and knowledge production in the social media age.
• The study used a mixed-methods analysis, combining critical thematic coding, temporal mapping, and engagement metrics to analyze the discursive and emotional strategies behind Dias' activism.

Statistics:

• 744 posts were analyzed from Marley Dias' Instagram account spanning 2016-2025.
• The research found that posts on identity, aesthetics, and empowerment garnered the highest levels of engagement (70.2%).
• Posts focused on structural issues received lower, yet still significant, interaction (43.1%).
• The study concluded that Dias' Instagram account has a median engagement rate of 2.5 times higher than the industry average.

Sources:

• Digital Youth Activism on Instagram: Racial Justice, Black Feminism, and Literary Mobilization in the Case of Marley Dias. Journalism and Media, 2025, 6(3):104. (doi: 10.3390/journalmedia6030104)
• University of Coimbra. News article: Research Results from University of Coimbra Update Knowledge of Journalism (Digital Youth Activism on Instagram: Racial Justice, Black Feminism, and Literary Mobilization in the Case of Marley Dias). Education Letter. October 15, 2025; p 702.