The role and significance of Instagram on the lives of Menstruators
TAKAHASHI, Remi
Category: Social Science
Abstract – In various cultures, menstruation has persistently been treated as a stigmatized topic, reinforcing the shame and embarrassment associated with menstrual bleeding and preventing meaningful discussions about periods. Menstrual activists believe that the first step towards eliminating this rooted taboo involves spreading awareness and encouraging the normalization of menstrual talks; these activists have recently used social media to increase menstrual disclosure. This paper will focus on the role Instagram plays in mediating interactions between users who post menstrual posts and its viewers and how these interactions and Instagram influence menstruating Instagram users. 50 Instagram posts and its captions, along with 3 comments from each post were collected and categorized, depending on the type of content, and then analyzed to see the influence the content has on the posters and commenters. It was concluded that Instagram helps empower menstruating users, encourages normalization of menstruation-related content, and acts as a database for necessary information, prompting educational opportunities.