Jag är vad jag äger : En kvalitativ studie om bloggars inflytande på konsumtion och identitet

Never before have we invested so much time and money in our homes as we do today. The increased interest in home interior is partly due to an increased commercialization of home and interior design on social media, and that people nowadays own housing in a greater extent than before. This in turn, has led to the home becoming a place for identity creation and self-realization. In association with social medias development, the blogosphere has become a powerful source of information that has an impact on the consumption. The purpose of this paper was therefore to investigate how the home is represented on social media and how this exposition is linked with consumption and identity creation for blog readers. In this study, has a qualitative methodological approach been applied in the form of a semiotic analysis of blog posts and semistructured interviews. The study has shown that when the blogger shows and distributes ideals of a home, that often symbolizes status, it shapes receivers’ perception of how a home should look. This can further lead them to such symbolism in their consumption. The daily inspiration from the digital sphere can thus contribute to increased consumption, that shapes the identity of individuals and how they want to be perceived by others. However, this consumption is not always clear and often does not occur directly, but may come to the surface later on. Thus, the study shows that the consumption of home interior has become an important tool for the identity of individuals. That is, both how an individual sees himself, but also how the individual wants to be perceived by others. The home has therefore become more than just a place, it has become a clear sign of status