Factors influencing Instagram Reels usage behaviours: An examination of motives, contextual age and narcissism

Abstract

With the help of an integrated approach, this study identifies Instagram Reels usage behaviours (i.e. creation, consumption and participation). This study was guided by the Uses and gratification framework using an online survey (N=540); this study identified seven motivations behind Reels usage; socially rewarding self-promotion, entertainment, escape, surveillance, novelty, documentation, and trendiness. The study observed significant age and gender differences in Instagram Reels use motivations. Besides this, the study also found that motives and socio-psychological predictors influence people's usage behaviours with Instagram Reels. Some important findings are: narcissists exhibited higher usage behaviours with Reels; socially rewarding self-promotion and entertainment predicted video production and participation; escapist users exhibited higher consumption and participation behaviour, and entertainment seekers produced more videos and participated in Reels actively. Confirming ‘lurking’, the current research found that those who use Reels for peeking neither created any content nor participated and were only interested in watching others content.