INOM
EXAMENSARBETE DATALOGI OCH DATATEKNIK,
AVANCERAD NIVÅ, 30 HP ,
STOCKHOLM SVERIGE 2020
Instagram and Millennials’
identity
Perceived ideal image on Instagram in relation to
perceived real identity
JENNIFER WANG KURTTO
KTH
ABSTRACT
Majority of millennials are daily users of Instagram and in conjunction with previous studies on Instagram displaying negative effects on psychological well-being, how individuals perceive their identity in relation to their Instagram use is interesting as it could be a part of how their psychological wellbeing is affected through use. Most previous research on Instagram and psychological well-being are general and based on quantitative methods. Descriptive findings on how individuals relate to their Instagram in terms of image or identity is not yet explored. The research question of this paper is therefore to investigate if there exists a perceived ideal image on Instagram and if individuals separate their Instagram image from their perceived real identities. Semi-structured interviews with 11 participants categorized through thematic analysis indicate a perceived ideal image on Instagram exists, and majority of participants cannot separate their Instagram image from their perceived real identity. It is assumed through findings that the level of awareness when applying one’s image or identity during Instagram use could indicate how risky it is for individuals to be affected negatively on their psychological well-being during usage. Increasing awareness of how one identify him- or herself based on his or her image or perceived real self could potentially decrease the risk of negative social comparison and self-discrepancy in interaction with one’s Instagram use. Findings showed there exists a perceived ideal image on Instagram while there is no coherent perception among participants in how they separate their perceived image from their perceived real identity. Future research could investigate whether this ’identity incongruence’ while using Instagram is part of a new way of constructing one’ identity in a world where virtual and real no longer has clear borders.
AUTHOR KEYWORDS
Instagram; Self-discrepancy; Social comparison; Image and identity
SAMMANFATTNING
Majoriteten av Millennials är dagliga användare av Instagram och i kombination med tidigare studier om Instagram som tyder på negativa effekter på det psykosociala välmåendet - är hur individer upplever deras identitet i relation till deras Instagram-användande är intressant att undersöka, då det kan vara del av hur deras psykosociala välmående påverkas genom användning. Större delen av tidigare studier om Instagram och psykosocialt välmående är generell i naturen och baserat på kvantitativa metoder. Detaljerade resultat av hur individer relaterar till deras Instagram i form av image eller identitet är ännu inte undersökt. Frågeställningen är därför att undersöka om en upplevd idealisk image existerar på Instagram och om individer separerar deras Instagram image från deras upplevda riktiga identitet. Semi-strukturerade intervjuer med elva medverkande, kategoriserade genom tematisk analys, indikerar på att en upplevd idealisk image på Instagram existerar samt att majoriteten av dem medverkande inte kan skilja deras Instagram image från deras upplevda riktiga identitet. Det är antaget genom resultatet att nivån av medvetenhet man har i appliceringen av ens image eller identitet under användningen av Instagram kan indikera hur riskfyllt det är för individer att bli negativt påverkade psykosocialt under deras användning. Genom ökat medvetande av hur man identifierar sig själv baserat på sin image eller upplevda riktiga jag skulle risken för negativ social jämförelse och själv-diskrepans potentiellt minska i interaktion med ens Instagram-användande. Resultaten visar att en upplevd idealisk image på Instagram existerar samtidigt som en sammanhängande uppfattning av hur de medverkande separerar deras upplevda image från deras upplevda riktiga identitet inte existerar. Framtida studier kan undersöka närmare om denna ’identitets-inkongruens’ som uppstår under Instagram-användande är ett nytt sätt att skapa sin identitet på i en värld där det virtuella och det riktiga inte längre har tydliga gränser.
NYCKELORD
Instagram and Millennials’ identity
Perceived ideal image on Instagram in relation to perceived real identity
Jennifer Wang Kurtto
EECS School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Royal Institute of Technology, KTH Stockholm, Sweden jkurtto@kth.se ABSTRACT
Majority of millennials are daily users of Instagram and in conjunction with previous studies on Instagram displaying negative effects on psychological well-being, how individuals perceive their identity in relation to their Instagram use is interesting as it could be a part of how their psychological wellbeing is affected through use. M o s t p r e v i o u s r e s e a r c h o n I n s t a g r a m a n d psychological well-being are general and based on quantitative methods. Descriptive findings on how individuals relate to their Instagram in terms of image or identity is not yet explored. The research question of this paper is therefore to investigate if there exists a perceived ideal image on Instagram and if individuals separate their Instagram image from their perceived real identities. Semi-structured interviews with 11 participants categorized through thematic analysis indicate a perceived ideal image on Instagram exists, and majority of participants cannot separate their Instagram image from their perceived real identity.
It is assumed through findings that the level of awareness when applying one’s image or identity during Instagram use could indicate how risky it is for individuals to be affected negatively on their psychological well-being during usage. Increasing awareness of how one identify him- or herself based on his or her image or perceived real self could potentially decrease the risk of negative social comparison and self-discrepancy in interaction with one’s Instagram use. Findings showed there exists a perceived ideal image on Instagram while there is no coherent perception among participants in how they separate their perceived image from their perceived real identity.
Future research could investigate whether this ’identity incongruence’ while using Instagram is part of a new way of constructing one’ identity in a world where virtual and real no longer has clear borders.
1. INTRODUCTION
Instagram is the dominant social media platform among age group 16-25, with 73% using it daily and 85% in total. Whilst, in age group 26-35, 58% use it daily and 74% in total, and only one out of four Swedes find their time spent on social media as meaningful [1].
Millennials are an interesting group to study, for two reasons. Firstly, a high volume of social media use within this age group is prevalent - 89% of people age 18-29 use social media [2] - with majority being daily users [1]. Millennials are also the generation who partly grew up without smartphones and social media, but also had the opportunity to adapt to it early on in their lives. Thus, there is hypothetically a possibility that social media is part of how Millennials construct their identities.
Previous studies has shown links between Instagram use and negative effects on psychological well-being, such as depression, anxiety and stress due to high emotional involvement in the usage [3], as well as increased levels of social comparison, anxiety and low self-esteem [3]. Social comparison is also triggering envy and other unpleasant emotions [4], and time spent on social media is negatively associated with the perceived quality of the day [5].
Increased awareness of stressful or negative events received through the use of social media is also a trigger to increased levels of stress [6]. Additionally, young people today are becoming overly reactive to stimuli on social media, which inhibits the awareness of their own inner feelings and thoughts - thus harming identity establishment [7].
their perceived real identity, and can they separate between them?
The purpose of this paper is not to explore which negative emotions Instagram - the platform itself - can give rise to, as previous studies have explored this through general findings. The aim of this paper is rather to build upon how users perceive their image and identity on Instagram, if they can separate between them and whether this could be motivated as contributing factors to the negative effects on psychological well-being through Instagram use.
The ideal image on Instagram will also be explored and a discussion of the findings will be supported by related work on social comparison theory, self-discrepancy theory, impression management/presentation of self and relevant previous studies.
Previous studies have been conducted on Instagram using Goffman’s presentation of self and talked about image construction [25] - however, they have not been made through studies on individual levels or through semi-structured interviews about users’ own perceptions of their image and identity construction on Instagram. Studies made on other social media platforms - Snapchat [26] and Facebook [27] - also covered Higgins’, Goffman’s and Festinger’s theories, however findings were of quantitative nature and not individualized for exploration of users’ perceptions on image and identity construction.
The following sections will cover the relevancy of Instagram for this study, related work including U&G theory, theory on the presentation of self, motivators to using Instagram, social comparison theory and self-discrepancy theory.
Method and findings will be presented, followed by discussion based on the theoretical background of the related work. Concluding implications of this study will be presented in the end.
2. BACKGROUND 2.1 Why Instagram?
Instagram is the most frequently used app in Sweden among Millennials [1]. That motivates the first reason it is chosen as the object of this research.
Secondly, it is due to the emotional nature of the app. Instagram represents a part of social media which is found particularly potent in affecting psychological well-being [3]. This is due to images in social media potentially triggering an increased range of emotional reactions in individuals, since the images are full of emotionality [8], besides from it being able to amplify already existing emotions [8].
Emotionality is here defined as something with strong potential for inducing emotions for the observer of the picture.
Thirdly, the app encourages social interaction with other users and engages social needs. Users are motivated to share their emotions on social media in order to fulfill the need to receive feedback and the need for personal expression [6]. Moreover, Instagram is also a typical tool for self-presentation [9].
Thus, Millennials spend a lot of time on this app socializing and expressing or fulfilling their social needs. Thus, this app might affect how they perceive their identities, which gives rise to the formulated research question:
RQ: How do individuals of the Millennial generation perceive the ideal image on Instagram, and how do they separate their Instagram image from their perception of their real identity?
Moreover, as confirmed by previous studies, there is a lack of studies on Instagram compared with the rapid growth of it, and its popularity among young adults indicates this field of research is of importance [10].
2.2 Description of Instagram
Instagram is an online social network, where users can post content on their feed and like and comment other people’s posts - both of which they follow or which they find through the ‘discover’ feed in the app.
Instagram stories is the latest feature addition, in which Instagram themselves describe it as ‘a quick, easy way to share experiences and moments’. Stories can be seen for 24 hours or be pinned to one’s profile for continuous viewing [23].
The ‘search and explore’ feed is where you can discover pictures and content from users other than those you follow, but it is based on your followers, posts you like or your interests [23].
Regarding usage, the main focus on Instagram is on photo sharing, image enhancement and nonreciprocal relationships [10].
3. RELATED WORK
3.1 User and gratifications theory (U&G)
The framework shows that social and psychosocial effects of Internet use primarily depends on the user’s motivations for using the chosen technology, and that the user actively chooses channels to satisfy his or her perceived needs and desires with varying purposes. Consuming content to fulfill information, entertainment or mood management needs, enhancing social connections or producing own content for self-expression or self-actualization are examples of purposes. Social medias in particular can be a source of resources to fulfill both psychological and social needs for young people [11].
Regarding social media, individuals are thus not compelled or obligated to use it but rather do it by free choice, since they usually find it interesting and feel social connectedness while browsing friends’ contents [13]. Thus, based on the user and gratifications framework, it is assumed in this paper that Millennials actively choose to use Instagram themselves, in order to fulfill certain needs. Implying, negative effects on psychological wellbeing shown from previous studies are not derived from the app Instagram or through compelled use, but rather consequences of users free choice to use Instagram. As will be discussed later, how individuals perceive their identity in relation to Instagram can have part in how they are affected in psychological wellbeing (how they use it), rather than what desires they are satisfying through using it as those are merely the means to an end. The motivation to use Instagram probably derives from benefits of satisfying perceived needs being judged as larger than potential consequences of negative effects on psychological wellbeing.
3.2 Motivators to using Instagram
Previous studies have pointed out some motivators to why individuals use Instagram. These include social interaction, promotion, documenting experiences, creative self-expression [3], entertainment, ‘killing time’ [15], [6], self-validation, establishing self-worth through likes [16] and gaining social reputation through the number of likes [17]. Majority of these motivators demands emotional involvement, as for self-worth and self-validation.
Besides from socializing, social medias are also used for the purpose of seeking information and entertainment, as well as maintaining relationships and keeping in touch [5] - but it is also found to be described as habitual by users, in terms of impulses and instincts to use or check it, particularly when they are bored or want a mental break [5]. Generally speaking of social media, it is found to fulfill two broad needs - the need to belong and the need for self-presentation [10], in which the engagement in
self-presentation is motivated by enhancing and maintaining self-esteem based on positive responses and compliments from social interaction [18].
3.3 Goffman and the Presentation of Self Theory
The presentation of self is a theory from sociologist Goffman, who states that encounters or social interaction between individuals are ‘scenes’, in which each person - or ‘performer’ - communicates a particular image to the receiver using dramaturgical devices and equipment - equivalent to material objects such as clothes or behaviors. The ‘performance’ or encounter however cannot be fully manipulated for a certain perception by the audience, and things such as one’s behavior and important aspects of the setting are out of control for the ‘performer’ [14].
A performance is termed by Goffman as a socialization process in which it is adapted to expectations of the society in which it is presented. Performers in turn tend to offer their audience an idealized impression in several ways, mirroring these accredited values of society. While giving impressions of ideal standards, performers conceal actions inconsistent with these ideals for the front public, but can still do it backstage - in so called secret consumption [24]. Goffman talks about front-stage as where the performance is given, in the setting, where manner and appearance can be outplayed to meet certain standards. The backstage is kept hidden from the audience since performers behave out of character there, where fostered impressions in the front is contradicted [24].
When moving between the front and the back, performers puts on and takes off of character. Working backstage expects technical standards while working in the front expects expressive standards [24].
The performer can either be fully taken by his or her own act - termed ’sincerity’, or see through his or her own act - termed as ’cynicism’. However, Goffman states that individuals have a social front, divided into setting, appearance and manner, with these fronts being selected and not created. Appearance can be social status or personal front, and manner can be expectations on behavior or role, both which could contradict each other in different settings [24].
The division of the social front can be compared to the division of the self according to self-discrepancy theory, which will be presented in paragraph 3.6.
out. However, regardless of the performer aiming to convey the truth or a falsehood, the performance itself must be regulated through appropriate expressions and concealing discrediting impressions [24].
3.4 Self-presentation on Instagram
Self-presentation is the process of communicating one’s image to other people [7] - and in terms of Instagram, it is a typical tool for self-presentation [9] as well as a typical choice of medium for self-presentation [6].
Online self-presentation in particular is common practice among young adults, since they often display their individual and social identities on social media, with the aim of constructing an ideal image which is socially desirable - often through self-enhancing posts [7]. Image management is also particularly high among individuals when they feel the need to maintain self-esteem and to construct an identity [7], and thus edited or fabricated pictures are common practice due to the expected beneficial results of evaluation [18].
Based on Goffman’s theory, with the social front divided into setting, appearance and manner, a performance on Instagram could also be explained as a socialization process in which it is adapted to the expectations of the society in which it is performed. In particular, giving impressions of ideal standards while concealing actions inconsistent with these could be simplified as a process on Instagram. Instagram is a convenient and powerful provider for self-presentation [7], as it allows users to express different aspects of their self identity through social interaction and feedback from others [10]. The app enables the users to manipulate posted content in terms of appearance [18], resulting in strategic self-presentation, deriving from a need to develop a desirable self-identity [18]. This leads to bias towards publishing posts with positive emotions, such as success, rather than posts about personal struggles, such as failures [6]. In other terms, it is presumably found more appealing to one’s self-presentation to remain positive - which is consistent with Goffman’s theory about ’secret consumption’ – to conceal actions deviating from ideal standards while performing ideal impressions. It is common for young people to construct their image (in terms of self and identity) on platforms such as Instagram [7], and Instagram users mainly select a certain self-image to promote their self-concept, rather than actually connecting with others on the app [10]. Young adults also seem to approach semi-public, non-anonymous social media - such as Instagram - for identity exhibition rather than identity exploration, as well as only reveal a limited version of themselves in these platforms [7].
3.5 Social Comparison Theory
Social comparison theory by social psychologist Festinger [19] claims the evaluation of correct or incorrect opinion and of one’s own ability is done in comparison to other persons [19].
On social media, individuals tend to post content showing their best self-image, and while browsing other people’s content, social comparison theory claims they tend to compare themselves with others. Consuming social media content of other people can therefore lead to comparison, which in turn can trigger envy or other unpleasantly considered emotions [4].
Social comparison is defined as the process of re-evaluating oneself and self-understanding after having compared oneself with others. Usually, people tend to compare themselves with those with similar abilities and opinions in order to evaluate themselves accurately [4].
Previous studies show that individuals are able to experience strong emotions during the process of social comparison. The more similarity experienced in attributes, the higher the likelihood of comparison. And for social media platforms, individuals normally follow those with similar attributes as themselves, implying, they are prone to comparison [4]. Being attentive to social comparison is important as it refers to one’s sensitivity to other people's’ reactions with regards to their own behavior [6].
3.6 Self-discrepancy theory
The self and self-images have had different facets identified over the years. One description is that there are two ‘actual’ selves - the person he or she believes he or she actually is, and the person he or she believes that other think he or she actually is. Other selves identified account for the spiritual self, the social self or the ideal self [22].
Self-discrepancy theory aims for constructing a framework revealing the interrelations among the different self-states. Higgins (1987) [22] formulated two cognitive dimensions underlying the various self-state representations: domains of the self and standpoints on the self. These are further divided into the actual self, ideal self and ought self, respectively your own personal standpoint and the standpoint of another person [22].
The self-concept is made up of the actual/own and actual/ other combinations of domains and standpoints, and the remaining four combinations - so called self-guides - are possessed by individuals in varying levels depending on their motivations [22].
Self-discrepancy theory thus suggests we are motivated to meet a certain condition in where our self-concepts matches our self-guides. Self-focused attention increases our awareness of discrepancies between the actual self and standards of comparison, which could be self-guides, thus reducing discrepancy [22].
Discrepancies reflect a negative psychological situation associated with particular emotional or motivational problems. For example, low self-esteem can be due to comparing your actual self with your own ideal self, or comparing your actual self with your beliefs about others’ ideals for you - which is referred to as the social ideal self [22].
Self-discrepancy theory claims that the motivational and emotional effects of your actual/own attributes or self-concept are not determined by the attributes per se, but rather by what significance or meaning it makes to you to possess such attributes. Individuals can possess none, all or any combination of the self-discrepancies - whilst, possessing self-discrepancy of any kind implies emotional vulnerability [22].
Central to literature on self-esteem is that discrepancy between one’s self-concept - i.e. the perceived actual self - and one’s ideal self is associated with discomfort [22].
4. METHODOLOGY
In order to collect data to discuss the research question, a qualitative approach were chosen. Thematic analysis were conducted for data analysis following an inductive approach based on semi-structured interviews with individuals from the target group of study. A qualitative approach were the optimal approach for this paper as it would allow for gaining insight into and contextualizing the research question.
The aim of this paper were not to generate findings for general applicability, but rather to gain insight into how a sample of individuals of the Millennial generation perceive the ideal image on Instagram and how they perceive their identities on Instagram.
The semi-structured interviews were conducted through telephone (due to the extraordinary situation during the Covid-19 outbreak in Sweden) during April 2020 with eleven Swedish participants (age 24-29, 3 women and 8 men) which were recruited through common acquaintances
and social media, and lasted for about 20-30 min each. These were recorded and transcribed manually by given consent.
Key findings were coded into key themes through thematic analysis, through noticing repetitional topics as well as similarities and differences in answers, as recommended by Bryman [21]. Repetitions were used to establish patterns in the data, and then validated for being a theme or not relevant to the research question [21]. Coded data were thereafter turned into key themes.
5. FINDINGS
To discuss the research questions, the interviews focused on questions about identity and image and how individuals use and relate to Instagram through these.
The findings are presented through key themes which were i d e n t i f i e d a n d c o d e d i n t h e a n a l y s i s o f t h e interview transcripts. Each section will describe the key theme and include quotes from participants. Discussions of the findings will not be conducted in this part of the paper but rather so will follow in the next, in paragraph 6.
KEY THEMES
5.1 Key theme: Ideal image - Popularity and a beautified reality
10 out of 11 participants expressed there is no ideal image in real life, as people are different to each other. As participant 5 stated - ‘it depends on from what perspective you view it - if you are a student or a father, it differs a lot’. Following these reflections, they were asked whether there was an ideal image on Instagram. In contrary to the previous answers, this time 9 out of 11 answered there is an ideal image on Instagram. Examples of their responses included ‘You have to have a high follower-following ratio, a nice and coherent feed in terms of colors or themes, and usually influencers want to encourage their followers to do the ‘right’ thing.’, as answered by participant 3.
Participant 7 stated that ‘People post pictures when on vacation to show their friends the fancy sides of their lives, in order to improve their image.’ Participant 2 answered ‘There is probably a lot of ideal images, but generally speaking, the typical ideal image is to work a lot, going on trips or eating healthy. Influencers are similar in terms of content they post, only that they have different themes depending on the person they are.’
thoughts, expressing ‘The ideal image depends on what the followers like to see, but trips and stuff like that is common to post, but it idealizes daily life and generally, people do not live like their posts show, rather they post it to convey something else, to beautify the reality.’
The ideal image on Instagram expressed by participants thus included a feed with strategically planned posts from vacations, healthy eating and pictures focused on appearance - to only show the fancy sides of their lives and to show their popularity through high follower-ratios. The importance of popularity is further elaborated upon by participant 10, who stated:
‘It (ideal image on Instagram) depends on your profession, interest and personality, but my friends usually post what they bought, eaten or where they travelled to. However, every person who posts pics is expressing one thing, and that is to convey I am not alone, I am not a nobody, I have friends. You want to make people see you met friends today and to convey you socialize or are popular.’ She continued to state that ‘Everybody wants likes. I do not care about likes, but I still get happy if I get likes.’
In other terms, popularity through a high number of followers and likes is important for the perceived ideal image on Instagram. Type of content connected with the ideal image is dependent upon the account or the person, but they all seem to fill the same purpose - ‘the beautifying of reality’ or to show ‘the fancy sides of their lives’.
5.2 Key theme: Instagram image is easier to maintain
8 out of 11 participants answered it is easier to maintain their image on Instagram compared to in real life.
Participant 5 states, ‘Of course it is easier on Instagram since you can choose to show what you want to show and hide what you want to hide, which is harder in real life.’ Participant 4 is also on similar thoughts but in relation to behavior - ‘It is harder in real life to walk away if something would disturb you and you would get mad, but on Instagram, you could block that person or close the app.’ Participant 9 also stated ‘In real life you have to give good first impressions, communicate and showing who you actually are, and it is hard to hide your bad sides and imperfections on your appearance.’
This is furthered strengthened by participant 2 who answered ‘On Instagram you can be precise in choosing which parts of yourself you want to display, everything is very filtered, there are probably those who show every side of themselves but it is uncommon, since most people only post photos on something good or worth to show off, like, here we are on this restaurant with our friends. You rarely share stuff when you do not feel well, or trivial stuff like
today I ate chicken and rice again. Most people only post when something good happens.’
Participant 3 also claimed in particular why this could be the case, as he stated ‘It is easier on Instagram since it is static - it (the image in relation to self and identity) does not change unless you change it, your account does not update unless you update it, in real life people see you constantly and the image in real life is shown in real time.’
However, participant 6 and 8 did not agree. Participant 6 claimed: ‘It is more about self-confidence in general, if you do not have good self-confidence I think it will affect your image on Instagram more in terms of how the image becomes. If an individual has low self-confidence, I think their Instagram account tends to picture something that is much better than reality is. The more self-confidence you have, the more you dare to show of your real life and real self.’
5.3 Key theme: Quick to judge - but hard to tell apart image from ‘actual self’
Majority (8 out of 11) think differently of a person they do not know well after seeing their Instagram.
For example, participant 2 expresses ‘I only think differently of them if I do not know them since before, or just started getting to know them. Then you will get a positive or negative picture of them when seeing their Instagram. But if it is someone I know well then my view of them would not change that much?’ When asked if he could determine if the image (as in relation to identity) is genuine or fake - i.e. deriving from the actual person or a completely constructed image, he answered ‘No, I do not know.’
Participant 3 answered ‘You get to know that person more or get a different view of that person through Instagram. If you get to see different sides of them on Instagram you will get a different view of them. Like complementing their identity. To determine if their image is truly reflecting them as persons is hard, you have to know that person for a while. It is easy to trick people on Instagram and have lots of followers, like ‘Lil Miquela’ for example, people think she is real’
Participant 9 also stated she has to know that person to determine - ‘You have to know the person, it is hard to determine only by pictures since that is the only thing you see, you cannot determine it even if the person seems to live in luxury through its posts, you will not know if it is fake or for real.’
people I know it is easy to determine if their image reflects themselves or not, but it is easier for influencers to maintain their image, like Kylie Jenner, they do not need to interact with people themselves and have a whole team behind them maintaining their image for them.’
Participant 4 has similar thoughts since he claimed ‘Sometimes you expect a certain kind of content on Instagram, but if it does not look like that, your view of them changes. For example, if I expect someone to be extrovert and their Instagram is empty of content, I would judge that person to be introvert instead.’
For determining if it is an image (as in self or identity) or actual self, he answered - ’Those who post like every hour are more fake, because then it feels like they only desire affirmation and likes. A normal person do not post every other hour.’ Participant 10 answered ‘People can change their view of you depending on what you post’.
Participant 5, answered he does not think his view of them changes after seeing their Instagram, and on the question of image he said ‘Image rarely reflects your true self.’ Thus, majority of participants think it is hard to determine if people’s image reflect their actual selves or is completely constructed, unless they are familiar with that person. However, regardless of how well they separate their image from their identity, majority (8 out of 11) are quick to judge people and get a different view of them after seeing their Instagram.
5.4 Key theme: Low awareness in image and identity separation - ideal versus actual self
11 out of 11 participants had their real name and personal pictures of them on their Instagram, though only 4 out of 11 perceived Instagram as part of their identity.
For example, participant 4 answered ‘It is a way to be myself without having to be that person in real life, but yes it is a part of my identity, you can show whatever you want on Instagram and some pics with clothes and stuff which I normally would not wear in real life but which I have on Instagram.’ This indicates he possibly views his Instagram profile not only as a part of, but also as an extension of his identity.
Participant 3 also stated ‘Yes, it is me, it is material on me and I am the one posting the material, it belongs to me. You can see who I am following and who I follow, and people you follow can be connected to your identity.’
To mention some of the participants which do not claim to view Instagram as part of their identity, participant 2 expressed ‘I see Instagram as a way to socialize and show
that I exist. When I post, I do not see it as an extension of my identity but rather as marketing of myself.’
Participant 10 on the other hand stated ‘Even if I have personal pictures, I do not view it as part of myself. It would only be if I earned money from it, then I would take care of it as part of my identity.’
Through these findings we can see that the answers differ, probably depending on how the individuals view their identities - from which they were asked about initially in the interviews.
When asked if their image could be part of their identity, 7 out of 11 said image can be part of identity. However, when asked if they could separate their image from their identity, only 3 out of 11 clearly answered they could separate their image from their identity.
In other terms, majority of participants answered image is part of their perceived real identity but they cannot clearly separate their image from their perceived real identity. This indicates there might be low awareness among individuals in what they perceive is their image, identity, ’ideal self’ or ’actual self’, as based on self-discrepancy theory (paragraph 3.7).
The minority of participants answering they could separate between them stated, (participant 5); ’It is two entirely different things. Image is what you show but you can have a real you, as you are as a person. What you show on social media is not a good reflection of how you are as a person.’ However, this is not an indication that he clearly separates between his image and perceived real self while using Instagram.
Participant 7 claimed ‘Image is something you manipulate, how you want people to perceive you. Identity is what you actually are, which is hard to change. I can separate between them.’
The remaining majority of respondents who were not able to separate were more unsure in answers, for example as participant 4 said ‘I think my image on Instagram can be arrogant, and maybe I am that in real life too, but maybe I am not.’ This indicates he cannot separate his image from his identity as he is unsure of how either one of them reflects him.
Participant 6 also cannot separate image from identity as he perceives they are the same ‘For me it is the same thing.’ Meanwhile, participant 2 expressed ‘It is hard to separate them sometimes. I guess the more confident you are in the situation, the less image you need to use.’
identity, or possessed low awareness in how they perceive their own image and identity on Instagram. This is assumed through the findings which indicated that majority of participants are unsure of whether they separate them or not, or even which of them they use in relation to Instagram. However, majority did not identify their Instagram profile as part of their identity, even though they had their real names on their profile. In other terms, there is some incongruence in how they perceive their image and identity use along with their Instagram use, as majority also could not separate their image from their perceived real identity.
6. DISCUSSION
This section is structured based on the key themes from the findings section in paragraph 5. Each subheading in this section is in chronological order discussing each key theme subheading in paragraph 5 in order to discuss the research questions.
The formation of identity and image on Instagram could be a contributing part to being negatively affected in psychological well-being through social comparison and self-discrepancy, depending on the level of awareness of the topic possessed among users. As the ideal image on Instagram is easier to maintain, through technical opportunities the traditional front and backstage performance could possibly be conducted simultaneously, which could give rise to unhealthy standards for the ideal self which cannot be sustained in real life in conjunction with the actual self.
KEY THEMES
6.1 Key theme: (Findings 5.1) Ideal image on Instagram Self-discrepancy risk
Since an ideal image on Instagram exists in some form as perceived by participants (see paragraph 5.1), there is a risk for self-discrepancy if the ideal image as pictured on Instagram does not reflect the actual self in real life. Since findings indicated the ideal image on Instagram includes posting about social activities with friends, traveling or showing off appearance-wise, if one cannot separate their Instagram image from their actual self as two different entities - it will be argued that self-discrepancy might occur between their actual selves (perceived real identities) and own ideal selves or own beliefs about others opinions on their ideal selves (ideal image on Instagram) - which is confirmed as leading to low self-esteem (see paragraph 3.6).
Moreover, through the findings we see that image often is viewed as a manipulated version of oneself (paragraph 5.2),
while Instagram has tools for photo manipulation. As strengthened by previous studies (see paragraph 3.4), strategic self-presentation is common among young adults to develop a desirable self-identity.
To show off popularity and appear as a social person with friends was mentioned as important in findings about ideal image (paragraph 5.1). Incongruence related to self-discrepancy, could be one contributing factor to negative effects on psychological well-being if individual users perceive their Instagram image not matching their actual self or real life experiences.
In addition, social comparison happens while browsing other people's’ content on Instagram (paragraph 3.5), thus it can be discussed that incongruence between ideal Instagram image and perceived actual self in real life could be a risk factor for negative effects on psychological well-being. Moreover, adding to Goffman’s theory of the presentation of self, there might be pressure to ‘perform’ if there is an perceived incongruence between an individual’s Instagram image and his or her actual self in real life. There could also be a loss of control in how to maintain one’s Instagram image in the best way, since the ideal image slightly differs in common opinion.
6.2 Key theme: (Findings 5.2) Instagram image is easier to maintain:
Unhealthy standards for self-evaluation
Since it is easier to maintain one’s image on Instagram, as discovered through the findings (paragraph 5.2), constructed images (in relation to self and identity) which do not necessarily reflect perceived real identities behind the persons of the Instagram accounts is found common. Although constructed images in themselves are neutral, problematics could derive when social comparison happens against these images as a standard of self-evaluation. Since no perceived ideal image exists in real life as found out through findings (paragraph 5.1), having to adapt to a perceived ideal image on Instagram - which is confirmed to exist through findings (paragraph 5.1) - could lead to n e g a t i v e e ff e c t s o n p s y c h o l o g i c a l w e l l b e i n g . Hypothetically, emotional uncertainty might occur if an individual tries to reach the ‘ideal image’ on Instagram, since findings also indicated the perceived ideal image could differ depending on who your followers are and what type of account you have. Striving to achieve this ideal image on Instagram could be stressful to psychological wellbeing since it involves reaching a state of perfection - an ideal image - which do not exist in real life.
management. Thus, if an individual strives for creating an ideal image on Instagram, which he or she does not have in real life - behaviors which are out of character for this idealized impression on Instagram might get revealed in real life, and the audience could sense this as misrepresentation and label the person as false (paragraph 3.3).
If the individual who creates this ideal image on Instagram sees through his or her own act - i.e. termed cynicism (paragraph 3.3) - self-discrepancy might occur as a result by the individual sensing the discrepancy between his or her perceived actual self and own ideal self, which might lead to low self-esteem (paragraph 3.6).
Furthermore, based on social comparison theory (paragraph 3.5), individuals would compare to people they find similar to themselves - but since photos can get manipulated and the Instagram image not always reflecting the actual self, the social comparison would be against something that is not necessarily ‘true’ in the sense of reflecting actual reality. Thus, social comparison against an ‘ideal image’ - which is easier for individuals to maintain on Instagram - could lead to unnatural standards which might never be reached or sufficiently fulfilled by those comparing themselves to other users in Instagram, and thus emotional distress - such as low self-esteem - and negative effects on psychological well-being might increase.
As findings indicated, an ideal image is easier to maintain on Instagram since it does not require physical interaction with people, thus reducing the stress to perform in terms of first impressions or watching one’s behavior. As one participant stated, your image as a person on Instagram does not update itself until you manually open the app and update it, while in real life you have to maintain your image all the time (paragraph 5.2). The front and the backstage on Instagram could therefore possibly be performed on simultaneously - you could control your updates of how others perceive you through posts, i.e. your performance of the ideal self, while simultaneously manipulating photos and doing technical backstage work, without having to perform for real life judgement by controlling appearance and manner. Which, could also give rise to unhealthy standards of ideal selves, as it is not possible to do so in real life.
Thus, since the findings indicated it is easier and requires lower effort to maintain an image (in relation to self and identity) on Instagram (paragraph 5.2), it could in fact be a problem which could contribute to negative effects on psychological well-being through social comparison based on ‘fake’ ideal images and standards, in which individuals compare their actual selves to.
Thus, either individuals see through their own Instagram image through cynicism, which might lead to self-discrepancy and low self-esteem, or the creation of an ideal image on Instagram induces social comparison for other users against a false standard for self-evaluation, also leading to self-discrepancy and low self-esteem.
Either way, the existence of a perceived ideal image on Instagram could possibly induce negative effects in psychological wellbeing, through above mentioned reasons.
6.3 Key theme: (Findings 5.3) Quick to judge - but hard to tell apart image from ‘actual self’:
Unattainable standards with low awareness of separation between self-identity and image
since a possible fear of being wrongly judged could increase desires to perform perfectly, leading to unhealthy standards.
Even though Instagram does not have the clear separation of front and backstage as traditional real life interactions do, the fact that findings indicate people actually judge Instagram profiles and connect it to the real life persons behind the profiles is alarming enough as risks for psychological distress among users.
6.4 Key theme: (Findings 5.4) Low awareness in image and identity separation:
Possible reason for self-discrepancy
Since majority were unsure of whether they could separate their image from their identity, or which they used in relation to Instagram - it will be assumed in this paper that some individuals usually do not reflect upon this while using Instagram.
Image and identity can be complex concepts to define, as they might be overlapping in some contexts - but in this context on Instagram, we assume based on the self-discrepancy theory (see paragraph 3.6) that image is viewed as the ideal self while identity is viewed as the actual self.
The fact that majority of participants showed low awareness of these concepts and based on the findings indicated they usually do not reflect upon these while using the app - there is a high risk of self-discrepancy through usage if they cannot clearly define whether they view their Instagram profile as their image or their identity. Previous similar studies [25] [26] [27] also did not explore this, which displays this finding as a new contribution.
Findings also showed that majority see the possibility of image being part of identity. This could be explained through Goffman’s theory, as people use different facets of themselves for ’performance’ and change character between front and backstage. However, in regards to Instagram, it is a platform for self-presentation which includes showing off your ideal image (see paragraph 2.1), and not separating your Instagram image from your identity or actual self could lead to incongruence, where your real life experiences do not match up with your Instagram image, as in the size of the social network (followers, likes), the lifestyle in general or social comparison appearance-wise.
6.5 New ideas through findings and discussion - Millennials able to create a third Instagram-identity unaffected by actual self or real self?
Since findings indicated differences in answers regarding image and identity as concepts and whether they belong to
each other or how they separate their image from their identity on Instagram, there might be a possibility that the frequent use of Instagram is leading to a new way of constructing one’s identity online.
Where exactly that border goes between the ‘real life self’ and ‘online self’ is of interest to further explore upon, as this is a relevant topic in the society of today.
Through this study, we got to see that most participants believe there is an ideal image on Instagram which is easier to maintain on the app than in real life, while they also quickly judge people based on their profiles but simultaneously majority of participants were unsure of how they separate between their Instagram image and real life identity. Thus, there were no clear borders between image and identity in usage.
Future research could further develop these findings by researching whether a third identity is possible - could be a so called ‘Instagram identity’ and whether or not that has effects on psychological well-being connected to real life identity and settings.
Findings 5.1 and 5.4 also show there might be ambiguity in how one separates the ideal image from their actual selves. Ideal image could lead to self-discrepancy as found out through 5.1 (see paragraph 6.1), but findings 5.4 also indicate participants not sure if they could separate their image from their identity. The ideal image as in ideal self is seen as constructed on Instagram through social interaction, but the ideal self could also be how one perceives oneself to be. Although it is argued that the risk for self-discrepancy is higher the lower awareness one has of their image and identity on Instagram, the tension between these findings exist in how individuals define and relate to the concepts of image and identity.
7. CONCLUSIONS
Instagram in relation to their actual and ideal selves. Future studies could research whether there is a separate ’Instagram identity’ and how individuals relate to this. What is certain however, is that indications show there is a perceived ideal image on Instagram, which points to the direction that social comparison is prevalent among Instagram users on the platform. Self-discrepancy could therefore be the biggest threat to psychological well-being if awareness of image and identity application on Instagram is not increased.
Increasing awareness among individuals using Instagram in how to manage themselves in relation to image and identity could possibly lead to better prerequisites for psychological well-being. Through being aware of concepts such as social comparison and self-discrepancy, individuals might have better tools to reflect upon their behaviors relating to Instagram use. This awareness could be increased through more future studies, which could lead to e.g. governmental campaigns or educational content in public schools to better prepare the new ‘smartphone’-generations for taking care of their psychological well-being.
Previous studies on similar areas using Goffman, Higgins and Festinger to discuss image, identity and self-presentation on Instagram, Snapchat and Facebook [25] [26] [27] have only included quantitative findings, and none included users’ own perceptions of their image and identity construction on Instagram. This study has contributed with individualized findings displaying how a small group of the Millennial generation in Sweden perceive their image and identity on Instagram.
8. LIMITATIONS
The findings only represent a part of the Millennial generation in Sweden. General findings were not the goal as this study aimed for qualitative findings from interviews with individuals, in order to detect patterns of how individuals might use Instagram in relation to their identities. The respondents were heavily represented by men (8 men and 3 women) - and although gender in itself should not be correlated factors in how the outcome of the findings turn out, it could be mentioned for future studies. Gender is also an ethical topic, and since there are several genders than only ’men’ or ’women’ it were not considered of determining importance in this paper.
However, future studies could regulate the gender distribution among respondents according to how the gender distribution among Instagram users in Sweden and among Millennials look like. Respondents should in that case also specify what gender they perceive they are for ethical accuracy.
Theoretical saturation is a complex topic to discuss but it is motivated as reached in this study, since thematic findings could be reached to discuss the research questions. However, for future studies targeting more general results based on demographics, other choices of method could be deployed.
ACKNOWLEGDEMENTS
Many thanks to my supervisor Leif Dahlberg for valuable advice during the writing process and to my examiner Rob Comber for constructive feedback on the report and the presentation. Also to the participants in my study and my opponent. I appreciate their time invested in my project.
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