Self-presentation on social networks: A study on Instagram use of young people

Social networks have become an indispensable part of daily life standing out as a new social interaction channel. As a social network, Instagram is a popular platform especially among young people, offering an opportunity to interact through photo share with its image-based structure. Young people present themselves with the photos they share on Instagram. It is believed that young people satisfy certain needs related to self by presenting themselves on Instagram; therefore, they use Instagram intensively. For this reason, this study is aimed at determining Instagram usage, the reasons underlying its use, self-presentation behaviour and the types of self presented by young people on Instagram. The use of Instagram and self-presentation through body were studied within the impression management process and were interpreted with "the impression management approach" of Goffman. Within the scope of the study, a focus group interview was carried out to construct a survey design. In accordance with the findings of the focus group study, three scales were developed, and the survey, involving these scales, was conducted with young people. As a result of the study, it was determined that young people use Instagram for surveillance, affection-seeking, archiving, self-presentation, attention seeking and satisfy their self-related needs. It was observed that young people utilize Instagram as two distinct self-presentation spheres, namely home page and story section, display different aspects of their self on these areas and manage their impressions. It was understood that the use of Instagram is quite intensive as it provides certain satisfaction to young people. The study demonstrated on the example of Instagram that social networks are a new social approval medium that satisfies the individual in terms of self and self-presentation. It is thought that the study will introduce a different perspective to the subject and contribute to the field by analysing the relationship between different variables which has not been studied much before and by addressing the gap as to the subject.