This week I focused on creating my interview and survey questions. The primary goal of my research is to understand how Bowdoin students create and present their identity on Instagram and how this relates to their formation of identity on Bowdoin’s campus, specifically in regard to how they present themselves to their peers. I currently plan on interviewing students across all four grade years. In doing so, I am interested to see if there is variation in answers between different grade years and if students’ relationships with the social media platform change during their four years. The questions I currently have include:
How long have you had Instagram?
Why did you get it?
How often do you post on Instagram?
What do you primarily use Instagram for?
What type of content do you post on Instagram? → can you describe your feed
Does Instagram influence or play a role in the formation of your identity?
Does your identity as a Bowdoin student influence how you engage with Instagram?
Do you engage with Bowdoin peers on Instagram? Does this vary based on friendship circles? How does this compare to engagement with those who do not attend Bowdoin?
Has your relationship with Instagram changed throughout your college career?
Is there any specific part of your identity or one of your identities that you express the most or least on Instagram?
Do you think the Bowdoin community also translates to Instagram? How do students interact with one another?