1. @InstagramStudy “The meaning for posting the photo
was that I missed my big sister and was homesick… it
captured our relationship and the embrace that we first
had when she saw me for the first time that trip, I
wanted to share that feeling with my sister and let her
know I missed her a lot”
Background
The rise of social media and networking sites has exposed us to new ways to
engage in social interactions online. Studies on larger social media sites such as
Facebook and Twitter have demonstrated that our society has entered an “era of
mobile social networking” as 63% of our time spent on the internet is now spent using
social networking sites (Bergström, & Bäckman, 2013).
Instagram is a social networking site that uses
photo-sharing as it’s main form of communication.
The site allows users to create a mobile account to
upload and share photos with other users who
“follow” them. Although it is a relatively new site,
Instagram has produced a significant online
community consisting of 130 million active users,
who share over 60 million photos daily (Abbott,
Donaghey, Hare, & Hopkins, 2013; Bakhshi,
Shamma, & Gilbert, 2014).
Anyone from famous celebrities or large institutions, to small businesses can create an
account; Instagram has proven to be crucial part of having a social media presence.
McMaster University’s own account (pictured above) has 6628 followers, to date.
Purpose
The purpose of this research was to explore the emotional experiences associated
with observing photos of people on Instagram, in an attempt to answer the following:
 Are there common or typical emotional reactions to seeing a photo
of a person on Instagram?
 Are there trends in the meaning behind users posting a picture of a person
and/or of themselves on Instagram?
 How do people use Instagram compared to other Social Networking Sites?
Methodology
Approval  for this study was granted by the McMaster Student Research Ethics Board
following a review of the literature.
Recruitment  was completed by distributing information about the study to active
Instagram users via email. Participants were invited to submit six photos from Instagram
that all contained images of people; three from their own accounts, and three photos that
they had ‘liked’ from another account
Questionnaires  consisting of both closed and open-ended questions were given to
participants, inquiring about their time spent on Instagram and asking them to explain
their emotions and feelings toward each individual photo.
Analysis  of the data included both quantitative and qualitative methods
References
Abbott, W., Donaghey, J., Hare, J., & Hopkins, P. (2013). An Instagram is worth a thousand words: An industry panel and audience
Q&A. Library Hi Tech News, 30(7), 1-6.
Bergström, T., & Bäckman, L. (2013). Marketing and PR in Social Media: How the utilization of Instagram builds and maintains
customer relationships.
Fox, J., Osborn, J. L., & Warber, K. M. (2014). Relational dialectics and social networking sites: The role of Facebook in romantic
relationship escalation, maintenance, conflict, and dissolution. Computers in Human Behavior, 35, 527-534.
Gonzales, A. L., & Hancock, J. T. (2011). Mirror, mirror on my Facebook wall: Effects of exposure to Facebook on self-
esteem. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 14(1-2), 79-83.
Stone, A. A., Sheese, B. E., Brown, E. L., & Graziano, W. G. (2004). Emotional expression in cyberspace: Searching for moderators of
the pennebaker disclosure effect via E-mail. Health Psychology, 23(5), 457-464. doi:10.1037/0278-6133.23.5.457
@InstagamStudy “I genuinely love Instagram and it’s
probably my favourite form of social media. I love
pictures and to be able to edit them and post them on
your account makes a photo album of important
moments in your life.
Results
Discussion & Limitations
Themes and Findings
• The findings suggest that posting a photo of someone is valued as a
significant form of connecting with them; supporting previously
mentioned trends that identify the ways in which online communications
are replacing face-to-face interactions.
• Participants suggested that the use of filters helps to create an ideal
portrayal of themselves that is appealing to other users; some participants
described posting a specific photo because it made them feel trendy or in-
style with what was popular during that time.
• Due to the nature of this project; fulfilling the requirements of an
undergraduate thesis; limitations of this study included the use of a small
sample size; future studies of this kind can utilize a greater portion of
Instagram’s ever-growing online community.
Meanings and Emotions Associated with Photos of People on Instagram
Brittany Bates & Gavin Andrews
Department of Health, Aging and Society
@InstagramStudy “I wanted to share this photo on my
Instagram account because I thought it was a very nice
photo of my group of friends and I wanted to display
that. Almost like a sense of pride thing; ‘these are my
friends and its always a good time’”
Photos Collected  Participants submitted a total of 42 photos; the majority of the
photos were of friends and family members, while a significant portion were also of
celebrities.
Common Feelings and Emotions  The image below shows the most common words
used by participants to describe each of the submitted photos. The emotions varied
based on who was in the photo; the most popular word to describe a photo of any person
was ‘Happy’
Meaning For Posting Photos  The most common response for why an individual
posted a photo was to remember a fun or positive experience that was shared with
another individual or group of people.
Use of Filters?  The majority of participants claimed to use filters when posting their
photos, in order to: give a photo an artistic edge over an unedited photo, enhance overall
appearance of the photo, and hide imperfections; make yourself, or the people in the
photo, look better
Thoughts Toward Instagram  Most participants claimed to enjoy Instagram as a way
to connect with others and share memories. Others also shared that they enjoy looking at
other accounts for inspiration or entertainment, as well as to follow what is happening in
the lives of others.
Themes From the Literature
@InstagramStudy “Appreciated – Looking at this photo
reminds me of how my boyfriend feels about me and how
our actions within the photo display our relationship
together.”
Social Interactions Online  Social media sites like Instagram have become a main
channel of communication. Online interactions are replacing face-to-face interactions
and influencing how we create and maintain social relationships
Self-Presentation  Online users are given the power to carefully choose and control
which aspects of their life they want to emphasize, or display to other users
Discussions of Health  Trends suggest that interactions over social media may be
affecting aspects of mental health such as; self-esteem, social isolation, and emotional
well-being.
instagramstudy
Sharing memories
 Most participants identified the reason for posting a photo to be to share a
memory or experience. While most were positive experiences, some photos were
shared due to missing someone; participants expressed that by posting a photo
of or with that individual, it helped to make them feel connected to them.
Self-Presentation
• Participants claimed that they enjoyed being able to share specific photos of
themselves because they liked how they looked in a photo. Furthermore,
judging one’s own appearance commonly came first before looking at the other
individuals in a photo.
Top 5 Words Used to Describe Photos of:
Family Friends Partner
Self
(Individual)
Celebrity
Combination
(the self with another
person or persons)
Happy
Love
Closeness
Amazed
Adoration
Happy
Excitement
Sad/Regret
Joy
Happy
Pride
Loved
Supported
Trust
Pride
Satisfied
Happy
Happy
Jealousy
Excitement
Funny
Motivational/
Inspired
Happy
Excitement
Closeness
Nostalgia/Pride/Cheerful
/Joy