Publication

Abstract : The invention of hybrid technologies and the internet has redefined the way of life. Smartphones and social media platforms become the fuel of the young generation. Social media can control the usage pattern and has a measurable impact on users' self-presentation. All the noted social media platforms offer limitless opportunities for users to present themselves with various multimedia elements. India is ranked first with 229.7 active users in global Instagram usage ranking. (Statista. 2023). usage time is significantly high on Instagram App, and This study explores the self-presentation styles of undergraduate students using the IM Scale by Bolino & Turnley (1999), which was created to measure impression management behavior based on the five self-presentational styles identified by Jones and Pittman (1982). The styles, namely Self-promotion, Ingratiation, Exemplification, Supplification, and Intimidation, are to be reviewed to understand self-presentation styles and their impact on users. The mixed method (Sequential Explanatory design) uses stratified random sampling by selecting 52 undergraduate colleges in Karnataka. Instagram for self-presentation is percolated and designated as strata in the study. Confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling are used to assess the effectiveness of latent components that cause heavy usage. As a qualitative approach in-depth interviews were conducted to get more emotions and real-life experience from respondents. Among the five self-presentation styles, Intimidation and Supplification play a significant role in app usage time among Instagram users.