Connective Embodied Activism of Young Brazilian and Portuguese Social Media Influencers

Digitalised relationships expand political participation and promote the inclusion of various social segments, especially young people, who stand out for their digital literacy. Youth digital activism ranges from participation in traditional social movements to influencer actions that combine market...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Suely Ferreira Deslandes, Vitor Sérgio Ferreira
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-03-01
Series:Youth
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2673-995X/5/1/28
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Summary:Digitalised relationships expand political participation and promote the inclusion of various social segments, especially young people, who stand out for their digital literacy. Youth digital activism ranges from participation in traditional social movements to influencer actions that combine marketing, advocacy, and identity expressions. This article analyses the repertoire of connective engagement adopted by young social media influencer-activists in Brazil and Portugal. Based on four cases and 87 posts on Instagram, we examined the connective forms that were anchored in affectivity, embodiment, self-image and other discursive and aesthetic strategies that promote engagement. Activists employing diverse languages adapted to algorithmic impositions debate “uncomfortable”, silenced or disruptive topics in an attractive and humorous way. In discursive-affective marks, they generate engagement in a sphere of everyday political sensibilities—infrapolitics. Such actions call for decentred boundaries of conventional political action in order to see the potential of young influencers’ digital activism actions.
ISSN:2673-995X