#AntiSlaveryDay & #WorldDayAgainstTrafficking: A multi-method analysis of the framing & social construction of modern slavery & human trafficking

In the modern digital landscape, among a scrolling generation on Instagram that has made it commonplace to (over) share details about one's personal life in visually captivating ways, this platform is also emerging as a channel for activism. Modern slavery, human trafficking and exploitation are not new phenomena, however the past few decades have witnessed the establishment of international and local legislation, as well as increased media coverage. These developments have propelled these concerns to the forefront of political and charitable endeavours, focusing on addressing the problems, devising prevention and disruption strategies, and expanding victim identification and survivor support services. Along with these crucial efforts, social media activism has seen a significant surge in the anti-modern slavery and human trafficking field, giving rise to a digital abolitionist movement. This movement is encouraging all members of society to actively participate in the mission to "abolish slavery" and "end human trafficking” in digital and offline spaces. This thesis examines how modern slavery and human trafficking are framed in Instagram awareness campaigns using a pragmatic approach. This involves a triangulated research methodology of a manual content analysis of Instagram posts, interviews with UK anti-modern slavery and human trafficking professionals, and an online survey of Instagram users to explore the various ways language, statistics, and iconography are being used to frame the issues and potential prevention and disruption solutions. My central argument is that these Instagram-based awareness initiatives not only oversimplify the complexity of these issues but also contribute to a digital abolitionist movement that propagates the idea that simple, passive actions such as taking selfies and sharing Instagram posts are effective means of addressing these issues. This perspective ignores the root causes and systemic issues behind modern slavery and human trafficking, as well as the specific regional and cultural variations in exploitation methods and the unique experiences of victims/survivors. Digital actions superficially address the problem and turn anti-modern slavery/trafficking efforts into a trendy online movement, prioritising self-presentation on Instagram rather than effective prevention strategies or strengthened support for victims and survivors.