Exploration of How Female Body Image Is Presented and Interpreted on Instagram

Abstract

The aim of the research was to explore the ways that female body image was presented and interpreted on Instagram. Specifically, it aimed to identify how women disseminate their body image on Instagram, examine how viewers respond to women’s body image disseminated on Instagram and determine how the women’s body image presentation on Instagram influences the viewers’ self-perceptions and behavior. To achieve the goal, content analysis was used. The data set consisted of 140 photographs that were collected from hashtags. It was found that body images presented in Instagram highlighted sexuality and attractiveness by emphasizing slim body, long hair, with fewer clothing, followed by photographs communicating business purposes and communicating the ideal body, but only a few photos challenged the majority by creating totally different images, such as women’s lifting heavy weights or doing something adventure and wearing a bikini at a larger size. As for the viewers’ responses, it was found that most viewers positively respond to body image photographs in Instagram, appreciating wonderful and ideal body image and admiring the transformation. In addition, it was found that many comments show that the viewers are dissatisfied with themselves after comparing their body images with ideal body images. This further suggested self-objectification. As for influence, it was found that the women’s body images communicated on Instagram influence the viewers significantly in the following aspects: 1) arousing consciousness and inspiration so as to encourage them to make changes; 2) triggering self-objectification; 3) inspiring use of a new perspective to perceive and expect the body image. The research, nevertheless, was limited in sampling which reduced generalizability of findings.