The Digital Life of Slain January Protesters

A report titled “The Lives of Dey” has analyzed extensive digital data and Instagram profiles belonging to those killed in the January protests, attempting to present a multidimensional picture of their lives, interests, cultural paradigms, and social characteristics.

The report, written by Abolfazl Hajizadegan and published in Mashgh-e Now, highlights the case of Hossein Tehranchi as one of its analyzed examples. Tehranchi was a 31-year-old man who wrote in his Instagram bio: “If I am no longer here, find me in the things I loved.” The author emphasizes that, alongside him, dozens of other individuals with similar lifestyles and personal narratives lost their lives during the protests.

According to the study, data collected from 957 individuals killed in the protests, including 477 active Instagram accounts, formed the basis of the analysis. Among these accounts, 306 were publicly accessible, allowing for a thorough review of their content.

Geographical Distribution and Demographic Characteristics

In its demographic analysis, the report reveals that approximately 23 percent of those killed were residents of Tehran, followed by the cities of Karaj, Isfahan, Mashhad, and Rasht, which accounted for the next-largest shares. At the provincial level, Tehran, Isfahan, and Alborz provinces ranked at the top.

In terms of age distribution, approximately two-thirds of those killed were under the age of 30. According to the report, this highlights the prominent role played by youth and teenagers in the protests. Furthermore, regarding employment status, the highest frequency belonged to school and university students, while the documented occupations spanned a wide range of service-sector and independent jobs.

Gender and Shifting Participation Dynamics

Another section of the study notes that the proportion of women among those killed increased compared to the 2022 protests, reaching 13 percent. This development is interpreted as an indicator of shifting social participation dynamics in the recent protests.

Social Networks, Authority, and Protest Culture

One of the core sections of the report is dedicated to analyzing communication networks on Instagram. Based on metrics of “authority” and “in-degree,” figures such as Reza Pahlavi, Ali Karimi, Ali Daei, Toomaj Salehi, Shahin Najafi, and several Iranian rappers, including Shayea, Yas, and Hichkas, ranked among the most viewed and influential accounts.

The analysis identifies Iranian rappers as an influential cultural movement among the youth, a movement that, according to the author, has reflected concepts such as protest, anger, hope, and resistance through the medium of music.

Content Trends and Shifting Sentiments

By evaluating more than 7,900 Instagram posts published by the subjects over time, the report maps out chronological changes in content. According to the data, the share of posts related to lifestyle and business has grown in recent years, while purely political content has fluctuated.

In the sentiment analysis section, findings reveal that the gap between positive and negative sentiments in posts narrowed in recent years, reaching its lowest point in 2025/2026. Concurrently, sentiments expressing “resilience” and “protest” experienced an uptick compared to previous years.

The study concludes that the January protests cannot be attributed merely to an abrupt event or a simple knee-jerk reaction; instead, they must be analyzed as a continuation of the social, cultural, and digital trajectories of recent years.

The author emphasizes that a shared pattern is visible across different segments of the protesting community: a transition from “passive grief and dissatisfaction” toward “active resilience and resistance.”

The report wraps up by asserting that any attempt to reduce the protests to superficial or fleeting factors fails to explain the social and cultural complexities of the younger generation, a generation that projects a vital part of its identity within digital spaces and social networks.