Postgraduate Research Guide

Instagram study: ALARMING RESPONSE FROM YOUNG FEMALE UNIVERSITY STUDENTS. When Instagram hit cyberspace in 2010, it was marketed as a photo and video-sharing application for users to publish snapshots of their lives at a particular point in time. Regarded as one of the world’s most influential social media networks, its 700 million users now follow trends, post ‘stories’ and explore content contributed by the global community. However, Notre Dame PhD researcher and tutor, Carmen Papaluca, found that the Instagram landscape isn’t all fun hashtags and cool photo filters. Many young users have reported experiencing feelings of anxiety, depression, loneliness, bullying and negative self-esteem. In a study aimed at exploring the effects of Instagram on the wellbeing of young female university students, Carmen discovered that those in their late-teens or early-twenties had vastly different reactions to Instagram images than those in their mid-twenties. In a series of focus groups involving more than 50 students aged 18-25 years, Carmen presented a range of images on fitness, beauty, nutrition, health, travel and work. “Students in their late-teens and early-twenties were drawn to the images of fitness and beauty. But rather than positive reactions, the images generated feelings of inadequacy and negative self-perception,” said Carmen. “However, students in their mid-twenties were far more focused on work and lifestyle. They felt their lives lacked meaning in comparison to others in the same age group who had posted ‘selfies’ working abroad, travelling to exotic destinations or showing off their enviable social lives,” she added. Common across the entire group was a tendency for the students to manipulate their own Instagram accounts by boosting follower ratios and using fake images as a way of coping with the feelings of inadequacy and envy they experienced while using the social media platform. “Despite the negative aspects, they all feel the need to document their own lives on Instagram in order to seek validation, try to improve their popularity and self-esteem through ‘likes’ and comments,” Carmen said. “It’s a kind of vicious cycle and, alarmingly, these feelings of anxiety and low self- esteem are often generated from within their own friendship circles. “I think we still underestimated how pervasive the social media influence is for children and teenagers, and how the negative impact is carried forward into their twenties. “I hope this research will start the conversation among young people and their parents and teachers, and provide important information for school, policy makers and health professionals ,” said Carmen. Carmen Papaluca RESEARCH MATTERS 32 Notre Dame Research Guide