- Project Summary: In no more than 200 words, provide a brief description of your project, including the puzzle you intend to address, the key questions your project attempts to answer, and a brief discussion of how you intend on answering those questions.
According to a survey by the National Retail Federation, 85% of college students use Instagram. There is much discussion on the relationship between individuals’ presentations of themselves on social media and how they actually feel behind the screen. Social media platforms have become a space where individuals are able to present a particular narrative of their life, separating what they do and don’t want people to see. I am interested in looking at Bowdoin students’ engagement on Instagram and how they choose to present themselves on this platform, and more specifically in relation to their identity as a Bowdoin student. My primary research questions include “How do Bowdoin students construct/present their identities on Instagram? Do they find Instagram to be an important tool in expressing their identity? Does their identity as Bowdoin students affect their engagement with the app? How do they engage with Instagram as a tool to connect with peers? How often do they use Instagram? Is Instagram a form of community at Bowdoin?” I will conduct interviews with Bowdoin students to answer these questions and create a survey to collect data on Bowdoin student’s overall use of Instagram including how frequently they post, what motivates them to post on the platform, and what types of content they enjoy posting.