[PDF] Instagrammatics and digital methods: studying visual social media, from selfies and GIFs to memes and emoji | Semantic Scholar (2026)
296 Citations
Visual cross-platform analysis: digital methods to research social media images
- 2018
It is argued that cross-platform analysis addresses a gap in research methods in that it acknowledges the interplay between a social phenomenon under investigation and the medium within which it is being researched, thus illuminating the different affordances and cultures of web platforms.
- 96
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Introduction to Visual Communication in the Age of Social Media: Conceptual, Theoretical and Methodological Challenges
- 2017
This thematic issue of Media and Communication focuses attention on the shift towards visual images on social media as well as the transformation of visual communication which has occurred within the…
- 46
- Highly Influenced
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The initial focus is on Instagram, together with certain schools of thought such as Instagramism and Instagrammatics for its aesthetic and visual cultural study, and the subsequently focuses on other web and social media platforms, such as Google Image Search, Twitter, Facebook and 4chan.
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Social TV and depictions of community on social media: Instagram and Eurovision fandom
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Social media have become intertwined in audiences’ television viewing, in how viewers experience texts and how broadcasters encourage and attract audiences with varying levels of interactivity and…
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THE USE OF VISUAL HUMOR ON TRAVEL COMPANIES INSTAGRAM : SEMIOTIC PERSPECTIVE
Travel companies are struggling using social media for the right implementation, particularly in formulating engagement-based visual messaging strategies. However, making interesting posts can…
The Post digital Emergence of Memes and GIFs: Meaning, Discourse, and Hypernarrative Creativity
- 2020
The aim is to propose an approach based on the communicational role played by memes and GIFs, and to underline the fact that they do represent a new form of human discourse, enriched by cultural references, popular culture and individual, and collective creativity.
The Postdigital Emergence of Memes and GIFs: Meaning, Discourse, and Hypernarrative Creativity
- 2020
The aim is to propose an approach based on the communicational role played by memes and GIFs, and to underline the fact that they do represent a new form of human discourse, enriched by cultural references, popular culture and individual, and collective creativity.
- 16
The Semiotic Layers of Instagram: Visual Tropes and Brand Meaning
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In an era of mobility and ubiquity, Instagram is a relevant communicative landscape for brands and products, allowing for the creation of a specific mood for campaigns and ads in general, merging…
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Digital Memory in the Post-Witness Era: How Holocaust Museums Use Social Media as New Memory Ecologies
- 2021
The analysis of terms and hashtags revealed the centrality of “Auschwitz” as a broad topic of Holocaust discourse, overshadowing other topics, especially those related to recent events.
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Examining Hashtag Use of #blackboyjoy and #theblackmancan and Related Content on Instagram: Descriptive Content Analysis
- 2022
Background Social media is widely accessible and increasingly utilized. Social media users develop hashtags and visual, text-based imagery to challenge misrepresentations, garner social support, and…
- 2
81 References
Zooming into an Instagram City: Reading the local through social media
- 2013
The affordances provided by the Instagram interface are analyzed and the ways this interface and the application’s tools structure users’ understanding and use of the “Instagram medium” are analyzed.
- 242
#Funeral and Instagram: death, social media, and platform vernacular
- 2015
This paper presents findings from a study of Instagram use and funerary practices that analysed photographs shared on public profiles tagged with ‘#funeral’. We found that the majority of images…
- 304
A methodology for mapping Instagram hashtags
- 2015
A methodology for studying Instagram activity is proposed, building on established methods for Twitter research by initially examining hashtags, as common structural features to both platforms.
- 171
News Images on Instagram
- 2015
This article examines the extent to which the online photo-sharing service Instagram assists professional and citizen photojournalists in the performative construction of a hyperreality in accordance…
- 43
Revenge by photoshop: Memefying police acts in the public dialogue about injustice
- 2016
The story of one such meme: the ‘pepper-spray cop’ is narrated and the creation and spread of the meme is linked to the democratization of online activism and the subversive acts of hierarchical sousveillance.
- 64
Hashtag Publics: The Power and Politics of Discursive Networks
- 2015
This collection investigates the publics of the hashtag. Taking cues from critical public sphere theory, contributors are interested in publics that break beyond the mainstream – in other publics.…
- 109
The Conservatism of Emoji: Work, Affect, and Communication
- 2015
This piece examines emoji as conduits for affective labor in the social networks of informational capitalism. Emoji, ubiquitous digital images that can appear in text messages, emails, and social…
- 157
War on Instagram: Framing conflict photojournalism with mobile photography apps
- 2014
This paper examines recent acclaim for professional embedded photojournalists who visually document the experience of US soldiers in Afghanistan using the popular mobile photo application Hipstamatic and argues that this discourse about the use of mobile apps overlooks another important ethical issue: the implications of non-soldiers mimicking the imagined hand of the modern smartphone-equipped US soldier, particularly in light of soldiers’ own complex media-making practices.
- 58
The Cultural Logic of Photo-Based Meme Genres
- 2014
This article probes the cultural meaning of contemporary meme genres that are based on photographs. The analysis looks into the broad dimensions of truth and temporality, as expressed in three…
- 157
FCJ-156 Hacking the Social: Internet Memes, Identity Antagonism, and the Logic of Lulz.
- 2013
: 4chan and reddit are participatory media collectives undergirded by a “logic of lulz” that favours distanced irony and critique. It often works at the expense of core identity categories like race…
- 143
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Now, let’s dive into the concepts related to this article, titled “Instagrammatics and digital methods: studying visual social media, from selfies and GIFs to memes and emoji” by Tim Highfield and Tama Leaver.
Article Overview
The article “Instagrammatics and digital methods: studying visual social media, from selfies and GIFs to memes and emoji” by Tim Highfield and Tama Leaver, published in Communication Research and Practice in 2016, addresses the increasing importance of visual elements in digital, social, and mobile media. It focuses on the research gap in methods for tracking, analyzing, and understanding visual social media as both image-based and intertextual content [[1]].
Visual Social Media
Visual social media refers to platforms and content that heavily rely on visual elements, such as images, videos, and graphics, to communicate and engage with users. Instagram, as mentioned in the article, is a prime example of a visual social media platform. It allows users to share photos and videos, apply filters and effects, and interact with others through likes, comments, and direct messages.
Selfies
Selfies are self-portraits taken by individuals using their smartphones or other devices. They have become a popular form of self-expression and are often shared on social media platforms like Instagram. Selfies can be seen as a way for individuals to present themselves to others and shape their online identity [[1]].
GIFs
GIFs (Graphics Interchange Format) are short, looping animations that have gained popularity on social media platforms. They are often used to convey emotions, reactions, or humor in a concise and visually engaging manner. GIFs can be created from video clips, movie scenes, or other sources and are widely shared and used in online conversations [[1]].
Memes
Memes are cultural symbols or ideas that spread rapidly through social media platforms. They can take various forms, including images, videos, or text, and often carry humorous or satirical messages. Memes are created, shared, and modified by users, and they reflect the collective creativity and cultural references of online communities [[1]].
Emoji
Emojis are small digital icons or symbols used to express emotions, ideas, or concepts in digital communication. They are often used in text messages, social media posts, and online conversations to add emotional context or convey nonverbal cues. Emojis have become an integral part of online communication and contribute to the visual and expressive nature of social media [[1]].
These concepts highlight the evolving nature of digital communication and the increasing importance of visual elements in social media platforms like Instagram. The article by Tim Highfield and Tama Leaver explores the methods and approaches to studying and understanding visual social media, from selfies and GIFs to memes and emoji [[1]].
Peter Samuals is an experienced content writer and researcher who contributes across all categories on this website. With a strong focus on user-intent-based content, the author creates well-structured articles covering travel, airlines, airports, booking processes, customer support, policies, and general informational topics.