IMPACT OF INSTAGRAM ON SELF EXPRESSION AMONG YOUTH IN DELHI

Abstract

Instagram has become one of the most popular social media platform among youth where millions of people share photos, videos and personal updates on a daily basis. Through such platforms, an individual can highlight various dimensions of their life through posts, stories and reels, and get instant responses in terms of ‘likes’, ‘comments’ and ‘views’. Such a continuous process of sharing and receiving responses has transformed the way individuals express themselves online. At the same time, the exposure of content and interactions with the audience may lead to comparisons and judgements and create a sense of social validation which might influence how openly individuals choose to express their thoughts, personality and identity. This study was carried out with the aim of studying the impact of Instagram on self expression among youth residing in Delhi especially to investigate the role of engagement (likes, comments, and views), feedback and social pressures on the usage of the platform. The research follows a quantitative approach using a primary data collection through a questionnaire administered to 200 respondents within the age group of 18-24 years. A convenience & snowball sampling method was used to select participants and the questionnaire was distributed through online platforms. The data collected was analysed using tabulation, percentages and graphical representation in order to establish trends associated with Instagram use and the behaviour of its users. According to the results of the analysis, Instagram is widely used by all respondents involved with most of them using Instagram daily for a considerable amount of time. At the same time, the frequency of posting their content is relatively low indicating that although users spend much time on the social network, they are more concerned about consuming other user’s content than posting their own one. The most common type of content shared on Instagram involves personal photographs and stories highlighting its importance in personal representation. In addition, the study finds that engagement factors such as likes, comments and views affect users’ actions to different extents. A positive feedback may result in encouragement of self-expression and low engagement may result in hesitation and reduced motivation for some users to participate in the activity. This research has shown the fact that a lot of users are considering the reactions of others before posting online since they fear being judged. The role played by the trends and popularity of certain users or influencers as well as comparing oneself with others in social media activity also reveals the existence of the fact that self-expression on the Internet is affected not only by personal factors but also by external ones. The results obtained have further highlighted that most of the respondents believe there are gender-based differences between males and females attitudes while expressing themselves on Instagram. The study concludes that Instagram is a platform that allows self-expression and shapes it. While it provides opportunities for creativity and communication, it also creates validation and social pressure that affect self-representation.