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Has Instagram Created Wanderlust: How Experiential Sharing Is Influencing Happiness

Warrick, Crawford David
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ysu1558922656657414

Abstract Details

2019, Master of Arts in Professional Communication, Youngstown State University, Department of Communicaton.
Instagram, a prominent social media site, has created a digital hub for the consumption of visual content. Instagram currently has over 1 billion monthly users and has over 95 million images and videos uploaded to its site daily. More than half of Instagram’s users are millennials. Previous research has found that the element most common in social comparison to be assimilation. This research has examined how social comparison through social media causes assimilation among users who are viewing the content being posted. Individuals who have low self-esteem and view content online will want to achieve the same experience that they see posted in the hope of bettering their self-perception. The goal of this study is to determine whether this social comparison is healthy, or if it stems from malicious intent. This study looks at how assimilation through Instagram will increase the individuals’ travel inspiration while positively affecting a persons’ subjective-vitality. This study examined the variables assimilation, inspiration, subjective vitality, satisfaction with life, and experiential buying tendency. All of these variables were measured using previously used scales that were modified to fit this study. Research shows that participants who engage with travel content through Instagram are encouraged to travel themselves. The travel content that they engage with inspires them to experience the same image or location that they see posted online. The study also found that users who are inspired to travel because of Instagram assimilation report high self-esteem. Though individuals reported that their low self-esteem was alleviated, this research do not strongly confirm that travel assimilation through Instagram will increase life satisfaction.
Adam Earnheardt, PhD (Advisor)
Julia Gergits, PhD (Committee Chair)
Jay Gordon, PhD (Committee Chair)
34 p.
Communication; Marketing; Physiological Psychology
Instagram, assimilation, self-esteem, inspiration, experiential buying, satisfaction with life

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Warrick, C. D. (2019). Has Instagram Created Wanderlust: How Experiential Sharing Is Influencing Happiness [Master's thesis, Youngstown State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ysu1558922656657414

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Warrick, Crawford. Has Instagram Created Wanderlust: How Experiential Sharing Is Influencing Happiness . 2019. Youngstown State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ysu1558922656657414.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Warrick, Crawford. "Has Instagram Created Wanderlust: How Experiential Sharing Is Influencing Happiness ." Master's thesis, Youngstown State University, 2019. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ysu1558922656657414

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

ysu1558922656657414
784
© 2019, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by Youngstown State University and OhioLINK.