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INSTAGRAM’S LIMINAL SPACES FOR ONLINE IMPRESSION MANAGEMENT: AN INVESTIGATION OF FINSTA ACCOUNT USAGE

This thesis examines the multifarious presentation of one’s identity on a singular social network site through their usage of both “finsta” and “rinsta” accounts on Instagram. A rinsta is one’s primary and more public Instagram account. A finsta is a highly privatized secondary Instagram account that functions as a liminal space for users’ impression management engagements. In-depth interviews were conducted with participants who identified as having created a finsta account and thematic analysis was subsequently employed to understand how they conceptualized their motivations and behaviors within their constructed networks. It was found that users were motivated to create and maintain a finsta by a desire for privacy, social inclusion, and the freedom to generate content that would be considered socially unacceptable on rinsta. This socially unacceptable content was often humorous or emotionally expressive. Finstas are also characterized by in-depth communal interactions in comparison with the more superficial interactions on rinsta. / Includes bibliography. / Thesis (MA)--Florida Atlantic University, 2021. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:fau.edu/oai:fau.digital.flvc.org:fau_78703
ContributorsAmaral, Joshua (author), Veenstra, Aaron (Thesis advisor), Florida Atlantic University (Degree grantor), School of Communication and Multimedia Studies, Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters
PublisherFlorida Atlantic University
Source SetsFlorida Atlantic University
LanguageEnglish
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeThesis or Dissertation, Text
Format91 p., application/pdf
RightsCopyright © is held by the author with permission granted to Florida Atlantic University to digitize, archive and distribute this item for non-profit research and educational purposes. Any reuse of this item in excess of fair use or other copyright exemptions requires permission of the copyright holder., http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

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