| 内容 |
This thesis studies the self-presentation and evaluations of others of college students who use Instagram, and examines how the frequency of Instagram use and the uses of Instagram make a difference. With respect to methods, semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight college students?divided evenly by gender?in order to get into the personal inner lives of Instagram users. The main questions revolve around Instagram usage patterns, self-expression, awareness of roles in society, and the concept of “acting”. Results from the interviews indicate variations in self-presentation and identity recognition between male and female users. Some males claim not to engage in "acting”, while females do "acting" especially in public. The thesis also surveys how users perceive their roles and their identity in private and public. And, this thesis surveys the relationship between frequency of Instagram use and interest in appearance. While existing literature suggests a positive correlation, this study finds no clear link. Both frequent and infrequent users express a certain level of interest in their appearance. The key findings is the absence of a consistent relationship between Instagram use and identity expression. Finally, this thesis acknowledges limitations, such as the small sample size and the absence of non-Instagram users or professional users in the survey. The need for future research with a more diverse participant pool is also highlighted. |
| 講評 |
This thesis provides an interesting perspective on college students’ use of Instagram and how they think about their self-presentation on such media. The analysis is revealing, in particular regarding to gendered differences, and the author is eloquent in discussing the implications of the results. Perhaps the most insightful element is the use of interview segments, from which the author’s deep rapport with interviewees becomes apparent, allowing for an in-depth qualitative consideration far beyond the superficial level of the text and images we typically see online. One area that remains somewhat undeveloped is the lack of direct engagement with relevant sociological literature like Goffman. There were also a few recurring minor issues related to formatting and spelling, but many of these seem to have been cleaned up for the final version! |
