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Journals / Medya ve Kültürel Çalışmalar Dergisi / 2026 / Cilt: 8 Sayı: 1

Beauty Enforcement on Social Media and Digital Self-Presentation: A Qualitative Study on Female Instagram Users

Sosyal Medyada Güzellik Dayatması ve Dijital Benlik Sunumu: Kadın Instagram Kullanıcıları Üzerine Nitel Bir Araştırma

Zeynep Kayran(BEYKENT ÜNİVERSİTESİ)0009-0008-5441-0677
Pages
96–117
Publication Date
2026-04-30
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AI Summary & Key Takeaways

AI Insight
⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

The findings indicate that participants develop a selective, idealized, and aesthetically curated self-presentation in the content they share on social media.

📌 3 Key Takeaways

🎯
Objective & Hypothesis:Today, social media plays a significant role in individuals’ processes of expressing and reconstructing their identities.
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Key Findings & Data:This situation significantly affects how users perceive themselves and shapes the digital selves they construct, ultimately influencing their self-presentation.
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Conclusion & Impact:The findings indicate that participants develop a selective, idealized, and aesthetically curated self-presentation in the content they share on social media.
🔬Design:Araştırma Makalesi
📍Scope:Comprehensive Sample
⚙️Variables:Sosyal Medya · Güzellik Miti · Güzellik Dayatması

Abstract

Today, social media plays a significant role in individuals’ processes of expressing and reconstructing their identities. Content circulating on visually oriented platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube reinforces the modern beauty myth while creating a pervasive pressure on women, leading to the internalization of appearance-based norms. This situation significantly affects how users perceive themselves and shapes the digital selves they construct, ultimately influencing their self-presentation. In this context, the study aims to examine how beauty norms circulating on social media shape women’s self-presentation in digital environments. The research was conducted through semi-structured interviews with eight women between the ages of 21 and 35, who were selected through purposive sampling and who actively use Instagram and engage with beauty-related content. The findings indicate that participants develop a selective, idealized, and aesthetically curated self-presentation in the content they share on social media. It has been found that the use of filters, content selection, and sharing strategies are shaped by the expectation of social approval and the perception of an invisible audience. Furthermore, although participants are aware of the artificial nature of beauty norms, they continue to produce content that conforms to these norms.

Özet

Günümüzde sosyal medya, bireylerin kimliklerini ifade etme ve yeniden inşa etme süreçlerinde önemli bir role sahiptir. Instagram, TikTok ve YouTube gibi görselliğin ön planda olduğu platformlarda dolaşıma giren içerikler, modern güzellik mitini güçlendirirken kadınlar üzerinde yaygın bir güzellik dayatması oluşturarak dış görünüşe ilişkin normların içselleştirilmesine yol açmaktadır. Bu durum, kullanıcıların kendilerini algılama biçimlerini ve ortaya koydukları dijital benliği önemli ölçüde etkileyerek benlik sunumunu şekillendirmektedir. Bu doğrultuda çalışma, sosyal medyada dolaşıma giren güzellik normlarının kadınların dijital ortamdaki benlik sunumlarını nasıl şekillendirdiğini incelemeyi amaçlamaktadır. Araştırmada, amaçlı örnekleme yoluyla seçilen, aktif şekilde Instagram kullanan ve güzellik içerikleriyle etkileşimi bulunan 21-35 yaş aralığında sekiz kadın ile yarı yapılandırılmış görüşmeler gerçekleştirilmiştir. Bulgular, katılımcıların sosyal medyada paylaştıkları içeriklerde seçici, idealize edilmiş ve estetik olarak düzenlenmiş bir benlik sunumu geliştirdiklerini göstermektedir. Filtre kullanımı, içerik seçimi ve paylaşım stratejilerinin, sosyal onay beklentisi ve görünmez izleyici algısıyla şekillendiği ortaya çıkmıştır. Ayrıca katılımcıların güzellik normlarının yapaylığının farkında olmalarına rağmen bu normlara uyumlu içerik üretmeye devam ettikleri görülmüştür.

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Cite This Article

Kayran, Z. (2026). Beauty Enforcement on Social Media and Digital Self-Presentation: A Qualitative Study on Female Instagram Users. Medya ve Kültürel Çalışmalar Dergisi, Cilt: 8 Sayı: 1, 96–117. https://doi.org/10.55055/mekcad.1896990

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