Impact of Instagram Influencers on Cosmetic Surgery

Ng, Ching Huey (2019) Impact of Instagram Influencers on Cosmetic Surgery. Final Year Project (Bachelor), Tunku Abdul Rahman University College.

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Abstract

Malaysian spend significant amount of time per day in using social media. According to Kantar TNS research, Malaysians are the most active Instagram users in Asia Pacific. Instagram is the most popular photo capturing and sharing application. With the rise of using Instagram, the evolution has created a new type of opinion leader called the Instagram influencer. Instagram influencer is the people who Instagram to share posts with their personal lifestyle, products and services that they have tried or used. They posted perfect pictures with editing pictures and surgery possibilities. The beauty standard on social media is unrealistic. Women are exposed to ideal images on social media increasingly and feel pressure to those beauty standards. The objective of this study is to study how young women perceive beauty ideal from Instagram. When more and more cosmetic surgery clinics in Malaysia sponsor Instagram influencers to promote and attract more people to do cosmetic surgery. The Instagram influencers create a trend that it is nothing shame to do cosmetic surgery and encourage people to believe that cosmetic surgery is normal in today’s society. This study also wanted to understand people attitude toward cosmetic surgery and to examine the impacts of Instagram influencers in cosmetic surgery. The findings of this study show Instagram influencers have the power on their followers to certain extent which change their perception on beauty and cosmetic surgery directly or indirectly. However, this study cannot prove that Instagram influences have the direct power to influence respondents’ decision whether they want to undergo cosmetic surgery or not. This result will be explaining through Social Comparison Theory why the followers of Instagram influencer think the influencer’s sharing might influence but do not actually compare to the influencer