Investigating the dysfunctional satisfaction of image posting for Instagram use among young students: a qualitative research / Syahida Mohd Nazri

Instagram is a powerful tool that allows individuals to take and upload images
and videos and share them with other users and varies on social platforms. Further,
Instagram is popular that has grown a prime interest in investigating the Instagram
phenomenon. This research involves the dysfunctional satisfaction of university
students' image postings for Instagram use. Dysfunctional satisfaction means not
functioning normally, while satisfaction means as the need for fulfillment, consumption
or purchase experience, pleasure or displeasure, consumption evaluation, comparison
with best outcomes, and deficit or surplus obtained. When the elements of dysfunctional
satisfaction combine, it means an abnormal gratification that individuals seek. For
instance, if comparing oneself is demotivating, an individual may continue to compare
because it enables satisfaction of oneself. Two theories were guided in this study: a)
Uses and Gratification Theory; which is suitable because it allows to understand how
and why users actively seek specific media to satisfy specific needs, and b) Maslow
Hierarchy of Needs; which has a specific focus on the self-esteem element. The
researcher selected the informants from three universities based on a purposive
sampling strategy by employing a qualitative approach. She also based the selection of
informants on the active use of Instagram. All data were collected from in-depth
interviews and analyzed by using thematic analysis and triangulation approach.
Findings show dysfunctional satisfaction has become a new norm among young users
for Instagram use. The new finding has provided new insight into this research.
Competing with one another is favorable. Dysfunctional satisfaction has portrayed a
whole character between online and offline. Interestingly, most individuals are
infatuated with the 'like' button. Also, individuals look forward to the 'like' button and
depending on it as part of their life support system. Individuals' image postings have
planned to plot, edit, filter, and best pose before uploading on their Instagram.
Therefore, the function of image postings was to share among connectors, but it had led
to a different direction through individual's intention and strategies.