University of Twente Student Theses
Following individuals on Instagram: Their meaning-making of a mediatized world : A qualitative study on individuals' experiences and meaning making on Instagram
Born, H. B. van den (2022) Following individuals on Instagram: Their meaning-making of a mediatized world : A qualitative study on individuals' experiences and meaning making on Instagram.
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| Abstract: | Objectives: Today’s society is becoming intertwined with digital media in such a way that many daily practices are performed online or in a digital environment. This is said to ‘change’ humans to become dependent on and adapted to media, which is a key indicator of what has been termed mediatization. To analyze this phenomenon of an individual level, this study focuses on individuals’ experiences and their perception of mediatization by means of their Instagram usage in everyday life. Methodology: To achieve the stated objectives, a total of 20 semi-structured interviews were conducted. By snowball and convenience sampling, 12 females and 8 males between 18 and 25 years old were found. To find relevant patters and outcomes, the concepts mediatization, self-presentation, digital- and self- identity and meaning making were measured. The data was analyzed by a mixture of open coding and codes derived from the theoretical framework. Findings: The study’s findings show that individuals recognize the increasing influence of media on society and have mixed feelings about these developments. They perceive mediatization as beneficial when performing actions, however, they fear to become dependent on media. The findings regarding meaning making and mediatization showed, that individuals have established friendships or relationships online and that mediatization supports their identity formation by providing much content that inspires them. |
| Item Type: | Essay (Master) |
| Faculty: | BMS: Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences |
| Subject: | 70 social sciences in general |
| Programme: | Communication Studies MSc (60713) |
| Link to this item: | https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/92837 |
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