Today, there are 2.31 billion social media users across various platforms. While usage of each is inherently different, many share a common thread - they allow the sharing of pictures, “selfies”; anything the user desires. This paper aims to dissect the activity of sharing pictures online, in particular, through the usage of Instagram. A seemingly individualistic activity; but with the ability to share personal shots with virtually anyone, it is hardly a one-man operation. We will find that many users of Instagram adhere to some unspoken rules of posting, and explore deeper into the reasons behind its high conformity.

The idea of self portraits or portraits with others has always been around, albeit in a less digitized form we are most familiar with today. In the past, self-portraits were all about status and importance. This notion still stands today. However, what makes today’s “selfies” unique is the dynamic and careful calibration that underpins this entire process.

Taking “selfies” and posting them online seems to almost be as routine as a usual morning cup of coffee. However, upon closer inspection, we can easily agree with Erving Goffman that individuals provide information to help define the “situation” – by way of presenting himself through expressions. (Goffman, 2005:118) Drawing analogy to Instagram, the information here would be the pictures or selfies posted, and the subsequent reactions received or perceived expression he wishes to give off would help define the “situation”.  The expressiveness of an individual can involve giving off certain engineered expressions to convey a promissory character. The individual portrays this character in order to convey a message, whether he is conscious of it or not. My personal testament is that the platform offers an avenue for users like myself to curate our public persona; to showcase the highlight reels of our lives - under the guise of casual “selfies” we take.

Central to this promissory character being conveyed, comes the social rules that guide and regulate posting behaviour on Instagram. Users on Instagram gain rapport and recognition based on the number of likes and followers they receive. The numbers are a testament to the validation of the impression the user wishes to portray. According to Goffman, the projection of self is received and accepted on virtue of faith. (Goffman, 2005;119) This “faith” is arbitrarily measured by the number of likes, akin to a stamp of approval. The higher the number of likes translates to greater endorsement.

The unspoken rules of posting on Instagram are akin to a dialect, where people learn and practice it. The conformity of these rules is exceedingly high, especially for millennials that use this platform to maintain their social profile. Some of the conventional rules are as follows.

Firstly, users are accustomed to post at peak timings. This would be to post during timings when the demographic of their followers are not busy. An analysis of over 61,000 Instagram posts by social media service Latergramme determined the best timings to post. Their results corresponded to the rationale mentioned above. Optimal timings are 2AM and 5PM, the reasoning is simple: these are timings when people tend to post less and users are more engaged in using Instagram. This makes for “perfect timing” to capture target audiences. This rule is essential – it governs exposure, and influences the amount of likes a post garners. There is high conformance to this rule, especially if users are adamant in gaining exposure.

Next, the reciprocity of liking photos is another rule that reflects high conformity. It is unspoken to like posts of those whom you follow. In return, you would expect that they like your posts too, provided that the following is mutual. This is seen as a form of courtesy, and also a tactic to maintain “likes” from a set group of people. The higher number of likes, the greater the social validation acquired.

There exists vast “guidelines” available on the Internet providing “tips” on how to present a “perfect selfie” – through videos on Youtube by famous Instagram users. The process is unanimous – this includes taking the “selfie”, editing it with filters, creating a relevant and engaging caption and posting it at the “right time”. The steps to posting a “selfie” are meticulous, just as one would take grooming themselves before a social event; users take steps to put their best face forward. They are after all, portraying the promissory character he wishes to depict.

If we were to draw parallels of posting pictures on Instagram as a “transaction” between the user and follower, the “individualistic orientation” in social exchange theory could be found. The transaction can be viewed as the exchange of pictures by the user for likes, and likewise the reciprocity of doing the same for whom the user follows. As articulated by Homans and Blau, the pursuit of self-interest of individual participants provides sufficient explanation for particular transactions that occur and ipso facto accounts for any similarities showcased by a plurality of transactions. (Caplow, 1984;1318) This can account for the high compliance of the rules mentioned above, as most users aim to amass larger numbers of likes and follows to attest their social status. As such, non-compliance is a rare occurrence.

Due to the highly curated nature of Instagram, users do not face many of the potential pitfalls that disruptive events create. Disruptive events occur when the projected image of self, through interactions, creates contradictions or discredits the desired persona. The environment in which Instagram operates is highly controlled as the user is in complete control of what they post. The audience is only able to make inferences based on what the user chooses to post.  Receivers of information may not be able to decipher what Goffman states as “ungovernable actions”, which may provide a check and balance to the authenticity of the impression that is portrayed. (Goffman, 2005;121)

In this technological age, the ability to curate our lives in squares for anyone, can pose a realistic danger. The lines between genuine and engineered are blurred with “casual” posts that may have underlying intentions embedded in them. The pertinent lesson here is to take what we view online with a grain of salt, because all that glitters may not always be gold.