New consumption patterns through digital self presentation under the theory of symbolic interaction: Pinterest

Social media platforms that emerged with the development of digital technologies have had an important place in human life. Social media platforms are an environment where people can have fun and learn, as well as an environment where people can present their selves or create a desired self. In addition, social media platforms encourage people to consume. With the influence of the postmodern period, people have tended to perform a consumption behavior towards their desires and to express themselves symbolically by consuming products or services. Pinterest, which is its working area, enables people to present their selves by creating boards and directs them to consumption by giving ideas. The aim of this thesis is to examine how women present their selves on Pinterest and how they adapt the ideas they receive from the platform to their lifestyles and transform them into consumption practices. This study is a qualitative study evaluated with in-depth interview technique. Within the scope of the research, 20 female users were interviewed using the snowball sampling technique. Findings were obtained by obtaining the research data with a semi-structured interview form. According to the findings; With the boards they created on Pinterest, it has been reached that women show ideal selves by moving away from their real selves. It has been concluded that women adapt the ideas they get from Pinterest to their real lives in order to have the look, life and self they want to see themselves, and transform them into consumption practices that can reflect themselves symbolically. Unlike other social media platforms, it is expected that this thesis study will contribute to the literature, since there is no study that reveals how Pinterest, which covers both production and consumption, transforms the ideas it offers by inspiring people into consumption practices.