TechTrends (2021) 65:874–883

https://doi.org/10.1007/s11528-021-00642-4

ORIGINAL PAPER

Photovoice 2.0: A Comprehensive Research Framework

for the Digital Generation
Abigail R. Aboulkacem 1 & Slimane Aboulkacem 1 & Lory E. Haas 1

Accepted: 17 July 2021 / Published online: 6 August 2021

# Association for Educational Communications & Technology 2021

Abstract
Most individuals view the world through images and many share memories through social networking sites (SNSs) and other
online spaces continuously. Due to the immense amount of communication through images, it is increasingly important to
develop competencies in visual, media, and privacy literacy; therefore, this article presents Photovoice 2.0, an adapted research
framework from the original Photovoice research framework of Wang and Burris (1997). The adapted framework is expanded to
include steps to analyze visual images at a deeper level, as well as examine ethics of media and privacy literacies. Photovoice 2.0
provides a road map for researchers to follow while exploring new media ecology and while working with the i-Generation
(Internet Generation). As a research framework, Photovoice 2.0 includes steps to reinforce the literacies of visual, media, and
privacy. The new framework provides participants and researchers the ability to strengthen one’s skills in taking photographs,
analyzing, sharing, and articulating the deeper meaning of the images for purposeful social change.

Keywords Photovoice . Visual literacy . Social media . Media literacy . Digital platforms

Photovoice Overview
Images and photographs encompass almost all aspects of ev-
eryday life, in personal spaces and workspaces (Aboulkacem
& Haas, 2018; Kember & Zylinska, 2012; Pink, 2013). As
Pink (2013) posited, photographs are inextricably linked to
multiple identities, personal stories, popular cultures, social
norms, and the political climate. To share these stories,
Becker (1974) explained how photography is important in
chronicling society, and further described how a camera is a
machine that captures and disseminates information like a
typewriter. Today, many witness these functions of the camera
and how they impact society, especially with an increased
mobile phone use at 5.19 billion users, i.e., 67% connectivity
rate (WeAreSocial, 2020). The photograph and visual image
have become an extensionof how to communicate about
ourselves and others, spread information, and perceive the
world.
* Abigail R. Aboulkacem
arw071@shsu.edu
1
Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, TX, USA
The ubiquity of the camera has influenced society and
opened doors for new ways to communicate and disseminate
information. Philip and Garcia (2013) posited that access to
mobile phones allowed people to take and publish pictures in
abundance (Deloitte, 2016). Further, this generation of quick-
ly capturing pictures using smartphones presents educators
and researchers with new challenges and pathways to peda-
gogical and societal change. Easily accessible means of media
production using phones, apps, and other portable devices has
changed the way people live (Turkle, 2017). The way individ-
uals interact with the world through the sharing of images and
photographs on the Internet and social media have raised is-
sues of privacy, data ownership, ethics, and more. The Internet
has fueled the process of innovation tremendously and be-
come a virtual high-speed highway of information production
and consumption.
Given the new media age, we argue for the consideration of
an adapted Photovoice research protocol called: Photovoice
2.0. This adapted protocol is inspired by the shift in Internet
usage since 2004. Around that time, Web services have de-
veloped from a stage of ‘read-only’, known as Web 1.0 to
‘read-write’, known as Web 2.0 (Papathanassopoulos,
2015). With Web 2.0, people can make content, mix and re-
mix already existing content, and hold their own information
dissemination platforms such as blogs, websites, various
TechTrends (2021) 65:874–883
social media accounts, and other digital spaces. The freedom
to access information, make content, and freely publish con-
tent, even fake, is what marked the shift from Web 1.0 to Web
2.0. Before explaining in-depth the new protocol of
Photovoice 2.0, it is important to review the original concept
of Photovoice.
Photovoice is a participatory action research (PAR) method
that allows participants to use cameras and photographs to
document personal struggles and/or community issues.
Photovoice as a research methodwas originally developed by
Wang and Burris (1997) involving female farm workers to
advocate for health issues and other problems in Yunnan
Province, China. The method is complementary to Freire’s
(1970) idea of conscientization, where discussion and critical
reflection aim to empower the marginalized in society by
lifting their voices for social change. The overarching goal
of PAR is to have the participants involved in the research
process by planning, interacting, and collaborating with the
researcher (Morrell, 2004). When conducting PAR, it is crit-
ical the participants become part of the research process to
discuss, co-create knowledge, instill reflection, and provide a
voice for the people (Kindon et al., 2007; Luttrell, 2010).
A unique aspect of PAR is the data collection process of
providing the space for vulnerable or oppressed populations to
advocate for positive social change within their communities
(Evans-Agnew & Rosemberg, 2016; Liebenberg, 2018;
Sanon et al., 2014). In line with PAR, Photovoice, as a re-
search method, provides cameras to those in socially disad-
vantaged positions to capture images that highlight issues and
initiate social change. Photovoice rests on the mindset that
citizens can “attempt to name the world differently, to posi-
tively refuse to accept dominant meanings, and to positively
assert the possibility that it could be different” (Apple, 1996,
p. 21). In other words, Photovoice allows its participants to
share an authentic and different perspective than the main-
stream narrative. It gives the participants the chance to show
the world their reality, their perspective, and the power to
believe that this awareness can lead to positive change.
Photovoice was inspired by earlier research on the ‘photo
novella’ concept advanced by Wang and Burris in 1994.
Photo novella positioned rural Chinese women in the center
of the inquiry process through their individual lens of society.
The women were in complete control of their image and real-
ity by photographing life in rural China. The research of photo
novella was later renamed as Photovoice (Wang & Burris,
1997). This image-centered method, has three main objec-
tives, to: 1) document and critically reflect on the strengths
and weaknesses in one’s community; 2) engage in collabora-
tive group discussions to spark dialogue about critical aspects
(i.e., political, economic, and cultural dimensions) of the cap-
tured photographs; and 3) promote social change by reaching
out to the leaders and policy makers of the community and
hopefully produce an action-plan. At present, many
875
researchers have adapted and used Photovoice, as a research
method in numerous types of settings and communities.
Visual Literacy Skill: A Key Component
of Photovoice 2.0 Framework
Living in a fast-paced visually stimulating world, where we
are inundated with images and media daily, becoming literate
about what we see and consume is crucial. Silverblatt et al.
(1999) explained, “Now the image can be better than reality.
As Andre Agassi put it so succinctly in his ads for Canon,
‘Image is everything.’ People devote their time and energies
to ‘re-inventing themselves’ as more attractive (and market-
able) human beings” (p. 27). This façade of perfection behind
images is one reason why analyzing, evaluating, and
interpreting the visual is vital in today’s media ecology.
Social media users worldwide numbered 3.6 billion users,
and estimated at 4.4 billion by 2025 (Statista, 2020). When
it comes to picture sharing on social media, 347,222
Instagram stories are posted per minute (Statista, 2020).
About 95 million photos and videos are shared daily on
Instagram, and more than 50 billion photos posted since its
inception (Lister, 2019). YouTube users upload 500 h of new
content per minute; Google processes 3.8 million searches per
minute (Warzel, 2019); and Facebook users upload 300 mil-
lion new photos daily and reach eight billion video views a
day (BroadbandSearch, 2020).
Images are powerful and captivating to the human eye.
Tate (2015), a neuroscientist, explained how humans are hard-
wired to process images at a much faster pace than written text
and letters. This proves how important it is to make sense of
the visual image and how necessary visual literacy is in a
society overwhelmed with photographs/images. The
Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) and
the Visual Literacy Competency Standards for Higher
Education (, 2011), described visual literacy as, “... a set of
abilities that enable an individual to effectively find, interpret,
evaluate, use, and create images and visual media” (ACRL, ,
2011, n.p.). This competency is essential as individuals need
to develop skills to analyze and question images that may be
digitally altered photographs, to better determine if an image
is authentic or artificial (Aboulkacem, 2020; Aboulkacem &
Haas, 2018; Kember & Zylinska, 2012). The visual image has
the power to impact and persuade public opinion, and one
critical aspect of visual literacy is the ability to discern and
analyze the messages passed through images (Mackey &
Jacobson, 2011; Rabadán, 2015).
Research with Photovoice can instill visual literacy skills.
Kelly et al. (2018) used the Photovoice method to let students
take photographs, and find photos online to compare cultural
perspectives in marketing and business campaigns. The re-
search method of Photovoice helped the students to develop
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visual literacy skills when analyzing the images for marketing
and gaining cross-cultural perspectives for business
purposes (National Association for Media Litearcy
Education, 2013).
Visual literacy is often an implicit by-product of
conducting Photovoice (Stokes, 2002). When participants
come together and discuss each other’s photos, it allows them
to create themes and share an in-depth analysis of the pictures.
According to Heinich et al. (1999), the two significant ways to
develop visual literacy skills include decoding (reading) vi-
suals through analysis and encoding (composing) visuals for
communication purposes. This is consistent with the ACLR
Visual Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education,
which states visual literacy skills include the ability to inter-
pret (read) and create (compose) images for visual media. In
addition, for these skills to develop through visual literacy,
Stokes urged the need to learn visual language terms, such
as composition and background, so when describing images,
one can use critical thinking skills to analyze the picture the
same way a written text is analyzed (see for e.g., Kress, 2010).
We argue that Photovoice 2.0 needs to include a step to ex-
plicitly teach participants visual literacy and privacy literacy
competencies to strengthen their skills in taking photographs
of their community. In addition, these competencies articulate
the need for analyzing visual images and their socio-
technological context (i.e., privacy, software, and ethics).
Photovoice as a Research Method
for Advocacy and Empowerment
Wang and Burris (1997) originally used Photovoice to advo-
cate for public health issues in a rural farming community.
Similarly, many other researchers have used the Photovoice
method for public health awareness (Wang & Burris, 1994).
Esau et al. (2017) enabled youth in Uganda to explore and
discuss health concerns, such as nutrition and hygiene, within
their community using this method. This encouraged the
Ugandan youth toward empowerment and development of
future health advocacy in their rural town. Indigenous youth
in Canada used the Photovoice method to reveal the relation-
ship between health problems, urban space, and one’s social
support system in their native indigenous community
(Goodman et al., 2019). McMorrow and Smith (2016) studied
African American teen girls to analyze and document their
issues with obesity and use it as a tool for preventative mea-
sures as well. Countless studies involving youth and public
health concerns have shown the Photovoice research method
for data collection to help increase awareness for both the
participant’s inner personal issues and bolster community en-
gagement (Goodman et al., 2019; McMorrow & Smith,
2016).
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From a feminist lens, Photovoice creates a space for
women and girls to cast their voice in a world that often
drowns out their perspective. Shah (2014) studied Indian ad-
olescent girls to understand their perceptions and critically
analyze traditional gender-roles. Using the Photovoice re-
search method brought forth photographs to their community,
which created an atmosphere for social change and
empowerment for the participants. Miled (2020) used
Photovoice with young Muslim refugee girls to explore and
hear their lived experiences of displacement while living in
Canada. The ability to use Photovoice as a research method
for data collection to give voice to the oppressed and encour-
age societal change for young girls is critical in their develop-
ment. Photovoice empowers participants to analyze gender
inequalities and encourages active citizenship in one’s com-
munity (Ingram, 2014).
In many ways Photovoice has given a voice to some of the
most vulnerable populations through unique personal
images (Wang, 2006). It has given the indigenous people in
Peru an opportunity to share their concerns about food inse-
curity and climate change (Zavaleta et al., 2018). Ethiopian
youth used Photovoice as an empowering tool to join in on the
conversation about climate change affecting their community
(Campbell et al., 2013). Other vulnerable populations, such as
immigrants and refugees, have used Photovoice to share their
stories and message of inclusivity. Fozdar and Hartley (2014)
used Photovoice with refugees that recently migrated to
Australia to uncover themes such as housing and
homelessness. Sahay et al. (2016) brought attention to
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and its ef-
fects on Latinx youth. The participants used Photovoice to
highlight and express their future career goals and dreams in
relation to policies such as DACA. In line with Freire (1973),
research with Photovoice can expand one’s critical conscious-
ness to make the connection between the individual struggle
and the social/political forces affecting them and their
community.
Photovoice as a Research Method
and Educational Tool
In addition to social justice and empowerment of vulnerable
populations, Photovoice has been used in unique ways in the
education sector. Anderson et al. (2020) investigated the per-
ceptions of what constitutes good teaching practices among
college students in New Zealand. Through a collection of self-
taken photographs, students demonstrated that great classes
include professors who care about teaching their course con-
tent and personally connect with their students. Another study
used Photovoice with EFL (English as a Foreign Language)
teachers in Valencia, Spain to capture various socio-cultural
issues in English. The future EFL teachers agreed they all
TechTrends (2021) 65:874–883
wanted to use Photovoice in their future classrooms as an
engaging and exciting way to teach English and allow stu-
dents to advocate for themselves and their community
(Villacañas de Castro, 2017).
Photovoice and Social Media Connection
The Photovoice research method conceptualized in the twen-
tieth century has branched out into various fields involving
public health, education, youth advocacy, immigration, cli-
mate change, and more. In the age of social media, fast photo
and content exchanges, multiple issues and new situations
have emerged for Photovoice as a citizen investigative proto-
col. Social networking sites, as defined by Kaplan and
Haenlein (2010), constitute, “A group of internet-based appli-
cations that are built on the ideological and technological
foundations of Web 2.0, and that allow the creation and ex-
change of user-generated content” (p. 61). The abundance of
user-generated content has raised several questions such as,
how can researchers conduct Photovoice studies using social
media while maintaining privacy? How could social media
algorithmic governance (i.e., content management algorithm,
tracking algorithms, etc.) be used in favor of the Photovoice
investigation? More importantly, what protocol/steps could
we set forward to delineate a process in which Photovoice
should be conducted on social media/digital spaces while
maintaining the audience’s privacy and ethically conceal iden-
tifiable data?
Marwick and Boyd (2014) argued that Web 2.0 made con-
text, content, and audience intertwine. In this case, Photovoice
research context is blurred and so is the participatory audi-
ence. Social media has rendered the production and dissemi-
nation of content convenient and accessible. Equally impor-
tant, social media has also rendered comprehension and cri-
tiquing of information a tedious process that is governed by
many ‘influencing powers’ such as software structure, family,
friends, content algorithms, and others’ viewpoints
(Aboulkacem & Haas, 2018). When conducting a
Photovoice 2.0 study, the parameters mentioned previously
need to be considered and discussed between the researcher,
the participants, as well as including the audience.
In the context of social media, Photovoice has been adapted
to meet the demands of social interaction and instant gratifi-
cations such as new friendships, maintaining existing relation-
ships, impression management, and fame (Brinson & Eastin,
2016; Hallam & Zanella, 2017; Proudfoot et al., 2018). Yi-
Frazier et al. (2015) used Instagram as a platform to imple-
ment Photovoice with adolescents living with type 1 diabetes.
The adolescents posted images about their life with type 1
diabetes to their individual Instagram pages, which helped
spread awareness about the differences between type 1 and
type 2 diabetes. In addition to health issues and Photovoice,
877
Nitzinger et al. (2019) created a Facebook group for
Promotores, which is the Spanish way of describing commu-
nity health workers. The Promotores shared photographs
and participated in interviews through Facebook about
health and their perspectives of working in rural
Montana, USA. Each participant received a photobook
as a culminating compilation of their Photovoice work
in the private Facebook group.
Using social media has transcended from health to educa-
tion. Rubrico and Hashim (2014) used Facebook to carry a
Photovoice research with non-native English language preser-
vice teachers. The participants were given the freedom to post
the themes and photographs that helped them learn and
become better teachers. Sitter and Mitchell (2020) worked
with participants with disabilities using Photovoice to raise
awareness about paratransit issues and public transportation
services in Canada. The participants exhibited their concerns
through photographs at an in-person gallery, as well as an
online exhibit created on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
PAR with Photovoice can be adapted to meet the needs of
its participants, which allows them to curate and define what
strengths and weaknesses they want to address in their com-
munity. Since the 1990s, Photovoice has evolved in our ever
increasingly fast-paced world of technological advancements.
These studies show how Photovoice can be adapted to the
current times with each generation. For instance, the social
media iGeneration (Gangadharbatla, 2008; Rosen, 2010) has
now used Photovoice to spread awareness and voice their
concerns on issues important to them. If Photovoice is
adapting to the social media environment, then it would be
necessary to create the need for media and information literacy
(Aufderheide & Firestone, 1993) and privacy literacy 2.0
(Aboulkacem, 2020; Correia & Compeau, 2017) embedded
within the Photovoice method. The attendees of the Aspen
Media Leadership Institute conference (1992) agreed to define
media literacy as, “The ability to access, analyze, evaluate and
communicate messages in a wide variety of forms”
(Aufderheide & Firestone, 1993, p. 7). The National
Association for Media Literacy Education described media
literacy as “The ability to encode and decode the symbols
transmitted via media and the ability to synthesize, analyze
and produce mediated messages” (n.p). According to
Aboulkacem (2020), Privacy literacy 2.0 inspects social me-
dia business plan and software design, social media interac-
tions, self-disclosure, trust dynamics, and the psychology of
sharing information, privacy law, citizen targeting, and
surveillance.
We argue that Photovoice 2.0 needs to account for the new
media ecology and the blurry lines between research, in-
formed consent, ethics, data protection, data ownership, law,
and regulation, as well as the underlying social media content
management algorithms. Algorithms are mathematical formu-
las that work in a recursive and spiral process by trading data
878 TechTrends (2021) 65:874–883

for predictions, and the more data the more accurate the pre-
dictions are made. Further, the researchers deemed it impor-
tant to cater to the aspects and complexities of conducting
Photovoice 2.0. In the next section, we will explain the
adapted Photovoice 2.0 research framework to strengthen vi-
sual literacy through photographs on digital platforms.
Since millions of users access Facebook, Instagram,
and Twitter daily, it is vital for participants using
Photovoice to engage in media literacy education. For
example, Instagram alone has around one billion active
users each month, with almost 70 % of its users under
the age of thirty-five (Mohsin, 2020). Pinantoan (2015)
analyzed over 99 million Facebook posts, and found
that posts with images were twice as likely to have
more engagement than posts without the visual image.
The visual image is timeless and engaging. Therefore, if
we continue to evolve in our interactions through social
media sites, then Photovoice needs an additional layer
of visual and media literacy to benefit participants and
researchers.

The Adapted Photovoice 2.0 Framework: A

Step-by-Step Guide

The introduction of the original Photovoice method included an

explanation of steps to take when implementing with partici-
pants. The initial step includes the mechanisms of using a cam-
era, ethical considerations when taking photographs of others, the
analysis of social and power dynamics, how to assess and under-
stand the meaning of a photograph, and ways to adequately give
back to their communities with their photographs.
Group discussions support deeper understanding of
images. Viewing of images sparks dialogue about pho-
tography and its effect on social justice issues. When
participants engage in a discussion of photographs it
should include, (a) selecting, (b) contextualizing, and Fig. 1 Photovoice process inspired by Wang and Burris (1997)
(c) codifying. In other words, the participants choose
pictures to highlight the needs of their community, ex-
plain the meaning or provide context behind the picture, propose to adapt the Photovoice method to include an
and finally establish themes and make connections to explicit visual literacy analysis of images, digital ethics,
specify the issues. After engaging in the collective as well as a media literacy component to help partici-
discussions with other participants, the final step pants navigate their way online and share those images
involves showcasing the pictures to local leaders or with the world through an online exhibit.
the community to enact policy change. The following
chart outlines the original steps from Wang and Burris
(1997) (Figs. 1 and 2). Photovoice 2.0: An Adapted Comprehensive
The Photovoice method is straightforward and allows Framework for Social Media and Digital
the participants to gather photographs for critical discus- Platforms
sions surrounding social justice and issues in their com-
munity. As we now enter a new decade in 2020, it is The intention behind Photovoice 2.0 is to adapt to the needs of
crucial to adapt to where we are in technology and the the new media ecology and the iGeneration. The chart below
current social media climate. In the next section, we is an outline for the new Photovoice 2.0.
TechTrends (2021) 65:874–883
Fig. 2 Seven steps to conducting Photovoice 2.0 research. Adapted from
Wang and Burris (1997) by Aboulkacem, Aboulkacem, and Haas (2021)
Wang and Burris (1997) analyzed historical photographs
from a social justice angle during the group discussions.
However, the adapted framework advocates that step one
should include a visual literacy component, which could be
included in both educational and non-educational environ-
ments. For example, participants in K-12 or universities could
implement this step in an academic setting. The Association of
College and Research Libraries (ACRL) defined visual liter-
acy as “a set of abilities that enables an individual to effective-
ly find, interpret, evaluate, use, and create images and visual
media” (ACRL, , 2011, n.p). The adapted framework was
inspired and developed from the first step from the
ACRL Visual Literacy Competency Standards for
879
Higher Education (ACRL, , 2011). Their visual literacy
competencies compose of seven standards with various
learning outcomes. The adapted framework presents
condensed standards to focus on three main areas: inter-
pret and analyze the meaning of photographs, identify
the physical and/or technical aspect of photographs, and
the ethical considerations.
Step One
Participants engage in a discussion of various types of photo-
graphs before beginning their own Photovoice journey. A
moderator/facilitator would present three to four pictures
depicting anything from social justice issues, historical photo-
graphs, and/or photographs using propaganda. The following
questions are suggested to be posed for the participants to
openly discuss in groups:
Technical Aspects of the Picture
1. What do you see?
2. What is the subject? (What is this photo about?)
3. How is the lighting/color used?
4. What angles do you see? How are the angles used?
5. How are vectors used? (Are there lines in the photograph
and how do they create a path for our eyes?)
Analysis and Reflection
1. How does this picture make you feel?
2. What message is the photo trying to convey?
Ethical Considerations
1. Could this photograph violate someone’s privacy?
2. What ethical considerations should be considered before
taking/sharing this photo?
The last question, about ethical considerations, would lead
into the next step on ethics and informed consent.
Step Two
Participants discuss ethical practices and considerations sur-
rounding photography and social media. Wang and Redwood-
Jones (2001) provided a detailed and descriptive guideline for
privacy and ethical considerations using Photovoice. After
conducting their Photovoice work in Flint, Michigan with
urban youth, the researchers reflected and discussed privacy
laws regarding photography and following the correct legal
guidelines. Step two would encompass the privacy laws and
ethics regarding photography and social media posting. The
following ethical considerations were inspired by Warren and
Brandeis (1890) work in law; Aboulkacem’s (2020) Privacy
880
2.0 Framework; and Wang and Redwood-Jones’ study (Wang
& Redwood-Jones, 2001):
1. Privacy laws relating to the intrusion of one’s private
space without permission. Need to respect the individual,
community, and group privacy.
2. Privacy laws related to data sharing and handling.
3. Knowing how social media sites work and what algo-
rithms manage content, as well as the degree of informa-
tion control in case of a breach in privacy.
4. Understanding the institutional business plan and profit-
ability. For instance, click streams are a source of revenue
for Facebook.
5. Understand how Application Programing Interface (API)
could potentially decipher personality traits and intimate
information otherwise not shareable.
6. Lastly, data ownership and the risks of government sur-
veillance, especially for investigative matters.
A new Photovoice framework would include a discussion
about posting on social media, understanding the platform,
and obtaining the necessary permissions. The following out-
line would be a great start for aresearch project using the
Photovoice method:
1. Provide participants with a consent form indicating ethical
protocols, as well as rights and responsibilities required by
an IRB. Explain and troubleshoot any concealment levels if
necessary (see levels of data concealment, Bruckman, 2002).
2. Provide participants with a “media public release” form to
obtain permission to photograph people and/or their per-
sonal spaces/belongings, since every taken picture is
tagged with geolocation and a plethora of metadata that
can identify the person.
3. Engage in an in-depth discussion around ethical consid-
erations and responsibilities of using a camera/camera
phone and picture ownership.
4. Provide participants with guidelines regarding the project,
timeline, and dissemination, as well as discuss potential
scenarios if things go wrong.
5. Provide participants with both prints and a digital file of
photographs to distribute and give back to those they have
photographed during the Photovoice project to check for
appropriateness and purpose.
6. Review the software structure of the platform chosen for
display and what potential content management algo-
rithms or mechanisms are involved.
After the discussion about ethical considerations when
photographing and entering community spaces, the partici-
pants would be set to use their camera phones and/or mechan-
ical cameras to capture images of things necessary and impor-
tant to them/the investigation.
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Step Three
Step three is picture taking, which could be done in the field,
individually, or conducted as a group. Participants must fol-
low the previous steps, including a deep discussion and un-
derstanding of ethical and privacy guidelines. Step three is
crucial, as it revolves around data collection, which is a sig-
nificant part of the Photovoice research process.
Step Four
After data collection is complete, the participants need to meet
as a group to reflect upon their fieldwork experiences. For
instance, questions such as how was the experience for data
collection? What are some of the aspects that appeared in the
field that were not considered? What were some of the diffi-
culties encountered in the field and how can we avoid it in the
future? What was challenging to privacy and ethics during the
data collection? Once the participants have reflected on their
own practices, then they will discuss, codify, and categorize
the pictures into themes (Wang & Burris, 1997). Once the
participants identify themes, they will select images for an
online exhibit. As they begin to prepare for publishing and
posting these photographs, on either their own social media
or a group page, it is imperative to review media literacy
practices as indicated in step five.
Step Five
This step is crucial for applying media literacy skills. We
suggest a detailed discussion about the social media platform,
entertaining questions such as, how does this platform work?
How is information shared and spread? What is the audience
and who can see the content? Who controls the data and what
are the privacy regulations? Discussing this information
should yield a plan on how the content should be published
and disseminated. The key points of discussion should include
finding a way to reach visibility with stakeholders, policy
makers, and the public. For example, using hashtags is bene-
ficial in increasing content visibility; they help in tracking the
content metrics; and boost audience engagement (Narang,
2020).
Step Six
In this step, the research group/participants should be ready to
release and publish the findings digitally. Once the partici-
pants compile the necessary authorizations/release forms, they
can then begin the process of an online exhibit, posting and
sharing with the intention to bring forth real-life changes.
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Step Seven
In this step, it is important to use social media platforms/online
spaces and the available means of communication, such as
retweeting, commenting, and sharing content to create a feed-
back channel/connection with any entity that could be needed
for the success of the project/investigation. For example, one
post on social media could garner the attention from a politi-
cian, celebrity, or general public to bolster awareness and
increase further dialogue or action. Post-project collaborations
are important to maintain the goals of social change.
Discussion
Today, it is almost considered asocial to not hold a social
media presence. Information and user-generated content are
overwhelming. For instance, YouTube users upload 500 h of
viewable content per minute; Google processes 3.8 million
search-queries per minute (Warzel, 2019). Facebook users
upload 300 million photos per day, and the platform registers
eight billion video views daily (BroadbandSearch, 2020). The
amount of information, also known as big data, comes from
the “.. . widespread diffusion of digital devices that have the
ability to monitor our everyday lives” (Newell & Marabelli,
2015, p. 3).
Social media sites have rendered the making and sharing of
content convenient and accessible to anyone. Equally impor-
tant, social media has also rendered comprehension and filter-
ing of information (news, photos, videos, informal posts) a
tedious process that is reigned by multiple ‘influencing pow-
ers’ such as software structure, family, friends, content algo-
rithms, and others’ viewpoints (Aboulkacem & Haas, 2018).
The participants’ ability to read and share information amidst
the influencing powers is key to conducting Photovoice 2.0.
Hence, we included sections on media literacy as well visual
literacy along the process.
Emphasizing the visual literacy component stems from the
constant flux of images online daily. Being able to discern and
decode (see Kress, 2010) a visual image is necessary before
embarking on a Photovoice journey. Visual literacy is not
always implicitly taught, and many people are not exposed
to a detailed visual analysis. When the participants come to-
gether to discuss their photographs and discuss collective
themes, understanding visual cues helps communicate differ-
ent aspects of the pictures.
Becoming a media-literate participant-researcher can mean
the “… active inquiry and critical thinking about the [media]
messages we receive and create… [Media literacy] develops
informed, reflective and engaged participants essential for a
democratic society” (National Association for Media Literacy
Education, 2007, n.p). Becoming a media-literate requires
participants to be aware of the media-saturated ecology and
881
understand its ever-happening effect through new media tech-
nologies and different formats of ‘text’, static or in motion
(Hobbs, 2010). In addition to these categories, Hobbs (2010,
2016) argued that media messages (in this case the photo-
graphs) are socially interpreted as all individuals are intercon-
nected. Philosopher Paulo Freire (1970) advised that reading
the world precedes reading the word. Therefore, it is impera-
tive for participants to become familiar with the technological
world around them as a prerequisite to reading content with its
varied formats. The prerequisite is simplified when we expose
the participants to media and visual literacies.
Wang and Burris (1997) provided a great outline to
make adaptations in Photovoice for the social media
generation. The original concept was to take photo-
graphs and use them to instill community and societal
changes, as a way to give voice to the most vulnerable
and marginalized individuals. To meet the demands for
the shift and movement to digital spaces, we argue that
Photovoice 2.0 provides a new framework to help guide
researchers and the iGeneration folks navigating the so-
cial media and online world with their portable devices.
Conducting Photovoice completely online through social
media and/or other online spaces is not only feasible but nec-
essary. Photovoice 2.0 sets the stage for immediate connec-
tions to those from different cultures and other parts of the
world. Adding a media literacy component facilitates the un-
derstanding of how to create instant exposure for a cause or
social problem i.e., advertise and disseminate information.
The use of hashtags and tagging features on social media
can create a buzz for exposure seen by a wider audience in
the millions. This increased visibility would hold officials/
stakeholders accountable online to initiate an impactful and
immediate response.
Conclusion
The goal of Photovoice 2.0 is to provide a comprehensive
research method framework for the digitally connected and
social media world. This article presented an overview of
the original Photovoice research method and how it has been
followed and used in various research studies and communi-
ties. The adapted research method framework also incorpo-
rates components of visual and media literacies. In reviewing
research studies based on Photovoice as a research method, it
revealed the need to adapt the framework for the digital and
social media-conscious researchers and participants. The
Photovoice 2.0 research method extends its application to
consider ethics, culture, and law. The inclusion of these com-
ponents makes Photovoice 2.0 comprehensive and appropri-
ate for today’s media consumption. Photovoice 2.0 is another
way to reach millions of users online with the intention to
empower participants to photograph, instill social change,
882
and spread awareness about the research and investigation
process.
Declarations This manuscript provides a conceptual research frame-
work, there was no research involving human participants and/or animals.
Therefore, informed consent is not applicable as well.
Conflict of Interest To ensure compliance with ethical standards and
transparency in research, we would like to state that our research included
no potential conflicts of interest (financial or non-financial).
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