Can Instagram be Positive Influence on Young Girls' Self-Image and Self-Confidence?
Overview
Instagram has grown in popularity as a social media platform, especially among young people. Over time, it has expanded beyond its initial purpose of sharing pictures and now includes new features such as Reel videos and a shopping section on the home page.
Despite Instagram's efforts to add new features and engage users, some are turning to TikTok as they find it to be more accepting.
My Role:
Lead UX Researcher
Research & Analysis
Personas
Ideation
Stakeholder Engagement
Stakeholders:
Dr. Ronah Harris
CEO of PLAY PATTERN LLC
Research-driven Content Creator
Instagram influencers
Parents
Educators
Client:
Meta (Passion Project)
Duration:
Sep 2022 - Dec 2022
Research Type:
Exploratory research
Descriptive research
Qualitative research
Research Methods:
Innovative Diary Study
User Interview
User Observation
Competitive Analysis
Desk Research
Toolkit:
Dovetail
Instagram
Miro
Figma
Problem Discovery
How did I Discover Problem using Desk Research?
1. Review Psychology Theories
I searched academic databases such as Google Scholar, JSTOR, and PsycINFO, and found 33 pieces of literature that were relevant to my research:
I applied Social Comparison Theory, Internationalization, and Objectification Theory to analyze how consuming Instagram feeds led to body dissatisfaction
Furthermore, I linked Adolescent Development Theory to the negative impact of exposure to idealized body images on young girls' body image, and the risk of addiction to Instagram use and digital status-seeking behavior
2. Analyze User Stories
I started by using Social media platforms, including Instagram, search for user stories and posts related to mental health and social media use. I also used relevant hashtags and keywords (e.g., #instagrambodyimage, #instagrammentalhealth) to find posts from users who are sharing their experiences using InstagramI started by using social media platforms
I also looked for user stories on Youtube videos, online interviews, and media articles
By analyzing user stories and literature through a psychological lens,I found the following problems that demand further research and solution ideation:
Problem 01: Users are struggling with automatic negative thoughts
People may feel bad about themselves when browsing pictures or videos on the platform, which can lead to mental health problems such as feelings of isolation and low self-esteem among young users.
The long-term consequences of these issues can ultimately result in various developmental problems.
Problem 02: Instagram has a negative influence on young girls by promoting unrealistic beauty standards through the platform's primary users and creators, celebrities, and influencers
As the primary users and creators of content on the platform, young girls are particularly vulnerable to the influence of celebrities and influencers promoting unrealistic beauty standards. This leads to a higher risk of young girls feeling inadequate and insecure about their bodies, ultimately contributing to depression, low self-confidence, a strong desire to achieve a "perfect" skinny body, and a higher risk of addiction and digital status-seeking behavior
Problem 03: The focus on images makes it challenging to create a positive environment for body image
This is because it is hard to balance the goal of keeping users engaged for longer periods and reducing the negative impact of Instagram on the mental health of young users.
More data demand understanding peer influences on young girls' body image because the peer environment is characterized by significant pressure to conform to appearance expectations
Research Goals
Involve Stakeholders in the problem-discovery stage
As I wrapped up my desk research, I shared my research findings with Dr. Harris, the professional research-driven content creator who I knew had a vested interest in this topic. Dr. Harris was impressed with my findings and suggested that I involve other stakeholders who are directly or indirectly affected by these issues.
With this in mind, I engaged with various stakeholders such as educators, parents, young Instagram users, Instagram influencers, and representatives from Instagram to understand the behavior, needs, and pain points of young females's Instagram usage and inform the design involved social influencers and family engagement
This collaborative approach allowed us to work together and gather a diverse range of perspectives and experiences, enabling me to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the problem and develop the following research questions with specific goals:
Methodologies
How Did I Choose My Research Methods to Get the Best Results?
To find the answers to Research Question 1 & Question 3
I utilized Innovative Diary Studies on Instagram
During the diary study, I also conducted User Observation to observe participants' posting behavior. By doing so, I was able to see firsthand how participants were using Instagram and identify any patterns or trends in their posting behavior.
With collected data, I conducted Intro Interview
To further answer Research Question 2
Semi-structured exit Interview
Method #1: Diary Study
Why Diary Study is the Optimal Research Method?
Cost-effective
Participant-centered: allow participants to report their experience in the form of screenshots and their own words at their own pace
Rich and detailed data including pictures description: Diary studies can provide rich and detailed data on participants' daily consumption contents and feelings over time, which can be difficult to directly capture using other research methods.
Diary Study Logistics
Ask participants provided 1 post each day that stimulates them to consider about their body image in a positive, neutral, or negative way
Ask about the reasons, impact level (1 = no impact to 10 = high impact), how they interact (e.g., comment, share, like, save, ignore)
How this diary study influences their thoughts on body-image-related Instagram posts.
Example of Diary Study Data
To analyze these images and ratings:
I coded the posts based on the categories provided in instructions (positive, negative, neutral impact; level of impact; type of interaction)
Identify common patterns based on themes, emotions, and topics
Method #2: Semi-structured User Interview
To gain valuable insights and context to the data collected during the diary study,
I conducted follow-up interviews after the diary study with the same participants.
Persona
Challenge of creating a persona that represents your target audience based on qualitative data:
Difficulty prioritizing:
The data collected did not reveal a clear pattern of preferences and pain points.
I found it challenging to prioritize which features to focus on in the redesign
Without quantitative data
-> It's hard to create a convincing persona that truly reflects the target audience
To tackle this,
-> I shared my persona with stakeholders throughout the research process and used their feedback to enhance its accuracy
✴ Findings
-
Need for positive peer interactions to boost self-esteem and appreciation of unique beauty among young girls on Instagram
Desire for a redesign that explores ways to facilitate genuine life experiences and self-expression through peer interactions on the platform
Users with low self-esteem may be particularly vulnerable to the negative impacts of social media content on their well-being
-
While social media has been criticized for promoting social comparisons, it can also be a place for increasing self-liking and positive
People need and want the algorithm of Instagram provide more divers and inclusive body-related content
Pressure to Present a Perfect Image: Users may feel pressure to present a perfect image on Instagram due to the prevalence of "Insta-worth" pictures associated with editing apps and filters
Most users are willing to use Instagram make good use of their free time
People need an inclusive community to share life moments, with less pressure to be “perfect”
Lack of interactive education and interventions to enhance self-esteem for youth users
Ideation
Brainstorm potential solutions or features that could address the identified pain points considering the persona's goals, interests, and preferences
Design Opportunities
So how can we redesign to create a social media space that not only benefits our mental well-being but also inspires us to be our best selves?
Smarter Save Feature with Category Organization
Enhance content discovery by allowing users to categorize saved posts using hashtags. This makes saved content easier to organize, encouraging users to explore a wider range of topics beyond body image.
Meaningful Engagement Over Vanity Metrics
Shift engagement metrics to prioritize real conversations over competition. Replace likes and comments with features that encourage users to share experiences around body positivity, mental health, and self-care.
Personalized Quizzes for Mental Well-being
Redesign Instagram’s story quiz stickers to offer personalized mental health and self-care insights.
Provide educational resources on body image and self-esteem to help young users make informed content choices.
Story-Driven Games to Boost Self-Worth
Collaborate with game designers to create interactive Instagram story games that promote self-esteem. These games use pictures and videos to encourage positive thinking, social acceptance, and stronger connections with influencers and creators.
Expected Impact
50%
Increase of user loyalty
20%
Increase in positivity on social media space
Limitations & Challenges
Designing Instagram story quizzes and games for promoting self-esteem can be challenging due to technical and cost considerations because they have tried to provide some functions like turning off ads, or reporting negative content
Encouraging meaningful participation in educational quizzes and self-esteem games requires strong promotion strategies
Cultural context and different beauty ideals representation and appreciation vary in non-Western or other race samples
Preference for social media platforms is changing, and Instagram use may limit the generalization of findings to other social media platforms
Takeaways
One of my biggest takeaways from working on a user research project targeting Gen Z young people was the importance of experimenting with different methods
In particular, I found that working with children can be challenging. It can be difficult to interview them, as they may not always articulate their thoughts and feelings, and I would take it as part of my assumption
I learned that by using different approaches and techniques, such as more visual aids or interactive activities, I was able to gather more feedback and insights from them
Therefore, I found that adapting my methods to the specific needs and characteristics of the target demographic was important to the success of the project
Using Instagram for a diary study is a novel experience, but I surprisedly found that it is a powerful tool to understand what body image content participants were consuming and provides a rich source of real-time data for analysis
What'd I do differently next time?
User Research:
Gain additional insights into the cultural factors that may influence the importance of beauty images, particularly in cultures with traditionally gendered roles
Add those who are creating beauty-related content on Instagram to investigate whether it is being created by real young women, brands, or professional models
Inform new features with creators' motivations and intentions: Gather feedback from creators to understand their goals and intentions. This can help to identify opportunities for collaboration and shared goals of creating a social network community that fosters positivity and supports mental well-being, while also being free from toxic behavior
Prototypes of New Features:
In the future, I will cooperate with a game designer to develop prototypes for a new Instagram story game feature. Test these collecting feedback with young girls to gather feedback and make refinements
I will try to make the recommended new features be more interactive with each other