Exploring the Self-Expression of Younger Generation on Social Media — Example of Instagram

• Main Authors: CHEN,WAN-CHING, 陳婉卿
• Other Authors: LIN, WEI-KUO
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2019
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/sqz6ns

碩士 === 輔仁大學 === 大眾傳播學研究所碩士在職專班 === 107 === When it comes to the research of social media, Facebook has been the main research object for years and the research topics are mainly related two issues: “Users’ interaction between the internet and real world” or “The usage of the internet influenced by the different individual user or different motivation.” However, the user preference of the social media has changed gradually in recent years, Instagram has replaced Facebook and becomes the most popular social media for the youngster; therefore, this study will set Instagram as the research object and try to find out the reason behind its popularity. In Instagram, the user can easily post the pictures and lines to express their ideas and feelings, but the issue of blindly following also emerge as its reputation expands worldwide; furthermore, can the photo posted online represents the portrait of the user or even indicate their life? The Internet is the place where people extend their relationship, the user will somehow bring in their true emotions, is it a kind of self-presentation triggered by the online interaction or influenced by the pressure between friends on the social media? Social media can bridge the real world and the virtual one, however, it also blurs out the line between “online” and “offline.” By theory, social media authorizes the user to choose whom to access to the post, but in reality, how exactly the user can ensure their personal information security if the real world and virtual one becomes so undistinguished? This study will figure out how the user secure their own privacy in the real world from the virtual? Instagram is not only the place where you can show yourself but also interact with others. There are already lots of studies focus on the self-presentation, but what exactly does the user presented online or what kind of content is able to motivate people to perform remains unknown. The study conducted quantitative research by using an online questionnaire, 411 samples have been collected and 4 of them are invalid, which left 407 valid samples. In order to understand which factor that influence the self-presentation on Instagram, the study quantifies users’ behavior, self-presentation, and personal privacy protection by collecting the online questionnaire. The study aims to understand the self-presentation of the youth of using social media. As the internet progress and become faster, new social media with more powerful functions and interesting content will be created and the social media will also change gradually according to users’ behavior, preference and motivation.