Do It for the "Gram": A Social Phenomenological Study on Selected Female Instagram Beauty Influencers in Metro Manila

• Main Authors: Argonia, Berlyn Kyle L., Chua, Jannamae Joyce D., Fulliga, Ariana V., Clamor, Wilfred Luis L.
• Format: text
• Published: Animo Repository 2022
• Subjects: beauty ideals; female Instagram beauty influencers; Instagram; social media; social phenomenology; Social and Behavioral Sciences
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/sinaya/vol1/iss1/4; https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/context/sinaya/article/1005/viewcontent/4_Argonia_etal_Do_It_for_the_Gram_1.pdf
• Institution: De La Salle University

Instagram beauty influencers are often considered "trendsetters" when conforming to beauty ideals. To live up to the label given to them, they perform beauty practices, improve their appearance, and are cautious of the contents they put out. Despite their life mostly revolving online, it is difficult to decipher an influencers' whole life since their followers only get to see a portion of it, which means that the public eye can easily label them as "perfect." This research applies the social phenomenology by Schutz and Luckmann (1673), as the theoretical-methodological approach, along with a qualitative-descriptive research design. A one-on-one virtual interview with ten participants was conducted where questions about the beauty standards and their influencer life were asked. The results showed how damaging Western beauty standards' dominance is not just for ordinary people but also for them. These beauty icons may look as if they have an easy life because of their well-executed posts, yet the results proved otherwise. Consequently, inclusivity is starting to be observed in the beauty community. It was described as overwhelming due to personal circumstances that their influencer life may bring regarding their private events offline.