Instagram and digital storytelling as a product of popular culture: An analysis of amateur cycling and photo sharing in İzmir

This thesis aims to scrutinize the daily practices of ordinary individuals who attend amateur cycling trips in İzmir and to understand the ways in which they tells stories of their experiences through the photographs they share on Instagram. Epistemologically, the research favors from a qualitative approach. The empirical component of the study is constituted by a fieldwork spanning a period of six months and consisting of in-depth interviews and participant observation. The data gathered from the fieldwork is then analyzed within the rubric of cultural theory, discussions on storytelling and social media theories. The study concludes by illustrating the ways in which individuals who attend amateur cycling tours in İzmir develop visual stories of their daily life experiences through the photographs they share on Instagram. A final concluding argument of the study is that it is the new communication technologies that now makes it possible for ordinary people to experience these visual storytelling practices.