Uses and Gratifications of Photo sharing Using Instagram

Abstract

Even though photo sharing apps like Instagram have witnessed phenomenal growth as a tool for social interaction in India, minimal research has been conducted to understand user gratification from photo sharing in India, although researches have been undertaken on similar topics for other countries (Whiting and Williams, 2013; Malik et al., 2016). In order to address this gap, the researchers aim to explore and discuss the users’ gratifications in sharing photos on Instagram by applying Uses and Gratification (U&G) theory.  In-depth survey was conducted amongst 56 individuals who share photos with social media and are in the age range of 18 to 35. The study found nine different gratifications namely, expressive information sharing, fashion, convenience, entertainment, pass time, affection, recognition needs, documentation, showing off. The limitation of the study was a small sample size. Research implications from the study are that uses and gratification theory has relevance to photo sharing and helps explain the varied reasons behind why people regularly share photos online. The practical implication is to help organizations understand why young consumers share photos online and brands can utilize it to develop methods to build more effective social media campaigns.