Instagram as one tool, two stages: self-presentational differences between main feed and story on Instagram

ABSTRACTPhoto sharing is a common practice of self-presentation on social network sites (SNSs). As a highly popular site, Instagram has two spheres to share photos, main feed and story, and each offers diverse technical features. The current study examines whether there are any distinctions between the two spheres in terms of self-presentation due to these features and offers a comprehensive, systematic classification of such differences. Drawing on focus group interviews with 52 young people aged between 18 and 24 in Turkey, the study reveals that main feed and story differ from each other in six aspects: frequency of photo share, audience in self-presentation, temporal value of self-presentation, impression management efforts, presented facets of the self, and social approval indicators. These differences primarily stem from technical features such as audience-limiting settings and persistence/expiry of posts. The results demonstrate that Instagram is a unique medium with two distinct stages for self-presentation, each entailing different self-presentational norms, practices, and attitudes. The study underlines the significance of Instagram for young people in exhibiting different aspects of the self in virtual environments and demonstrates the impact of technical features in shaping online social behavior. Disclosure statementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.