Self-presentation on Social Networks. From Theoretical Approaches Towards New Media to Instagram Case Analysis

Namjera je ovog rada istražiti, analizirati i interpretirati danas sveprisutnu medijsku praksu samoprezentacije na društvenim mrežama. Kako bi se obuhvatila složenost ovog društvenog fenomena, prvi dio rada započinje sa širom problematikom novih medija, u sklopu koje se razmatra ideološki naboj “novoga”, percepcija medijski vođenog kulturnog razvoja i odnos “starih” i “novih” medija, a zatim nastavlja s definicijom društvenih mreža i uz njih vezanih ključnih pojmova. Nadalje, razmatra se pitanje moći medija kroz dvije dominantne paradigme u medijskim istraživanjima – anti-ideologijsku, čije početke pronalazimo u pristupu Marshalla McLuhana, i ideologijsku, razvijenu od strane Raymonda Williamsa i Stuarta Halla u sklopu teorije kulture – te se pomoću njih koncipira teorijski okvir koji predstavlja sintezu McLuhanovog isticanja materije medija, Hallovog razumijevanja medijske reprodukcije ideološke hegemonije i psihoanalitičkog subjekta vođenog željom. U drugom dijelu rada, na temelju opisanog teorijskog okvira i građe prikupljene metodom analize sadržaja, pružena je interpretacija prakse samoprezentacije na Instagramu s obzirom na kontekst suvremenog neoliberalnog kapitalizma. Cilj je rada pretresti ključna pitanja i kritički se osvrnuti na današnja prevladavajuća mišljenja o novim medijima i ideologiji, kao i pružiti vlastitu interpretaciju medijske prakse samoprezentacije na temelju analize slučaja Instagram i kritičkog iščitavanja literature.This paper intends to investigate, analyze and interpret today's ubiquitous media practice of self-presentation on social networks. In order to grasp the complexity of this social phenomenon, the first part of the paper begins with a broader discussion of new media, encompassing the ideological charge of the “new”, the perception of media-driven cultural development as well as the relationship between “old” and “new” media, and then continues with the definition of social networks and related key concepts. Furthermore, it considers the issue of media power through two dominant paradigms in media research: the anti-ideological paradigm, originating from Marshall McLuhan's approach, and the ideological paradigm, developed by Raymond Williams and Stuart Hall within the theory of culture. Using these paradigms, a theoretical framework is constructed by synthesizing McLuhan's emphasis on the matter of the media, Hall's understanding of the reproduction of ideological hegemony in the media, and the psychoanalytic subject driven by desire. In the second part of the paper, based on the described theoretical framework and the material collected by the content analysis method, an interpretation of the practice of self-presentation on Instagram is provided with regard to the context of contemporary neoliberal capitalism. The goal is to examine key questions and critically reflect on prevailing opinions about new media and ideology, as well as to provide an interpretation of the media practice of self-presentation based on an analysis of the Instagram case and a critical reading of the literature