Instagram Influencers and their Youngest Female Followers
Abstract
The purpose of this research is to gain a better understanding of the content teenage girls are surrounded by on Instagram, specifically focusing on influencer self-presentation and the impacts it can have on Instagram’s youngest female users. To do so, this research identifies and analyzes the top ten most popular influencers followed by a concentrated sample of 13–16-year-old girls. Theoretically informed qualitative analysis is used to analyze the influencers’ profiles by applying Erving Goffman’s dramaturgical approach (1956). With reference to Angela McRobbie’s (2008) work on “girl culture” and Alice Marwick’s (2015) work on “insta-fame”, the ways in which influencers code femininity and persuade participation in consumer culture are considered. The findings reveal how influencers represent the modern-day version of mass magazines intended for women and how the ideals established by women’s magazines of the past have resurfaced through influencers.