In-depth Interview: Interview Reflection Essay

In-depth Interview: Interview Reflection Essay

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In-depth Interview: Interview Reflection Essay

Research Questions

1. What are the effects of popular social media platforms on women’s perceptions of their body figures as well as on how they imitate celebrities’ social media profiles?
2. What are young women’s sentiments towards how their male friends regard their body shapes and images?

Semi-Structured Interview Guide

1. You seem like a vibrant and active young woman; do you often log in to social media platforms? If so, are you a passive or active user?
2. There are a large variety of social media platforms in present times, what are your preferred social media platforms?
3. How long have you had an account on this platform? What is the importance of this account to you?
4. How do different social media platforms affect your choices in day-to-day life?
5. When you log into your favorite online platform, what kind of things do you prefer to look at? Is it celebrities, local news, fashion, or technology?
6. There are many beautiful actors and celebrities on social media, do you follow any of their online profiles?
7. From your perspective, do you keep up with any trends in online media? Do your friends often follow such trends?
8. Do you post pictures of yourself online? Why and how often do you post your pictures on social media?
9. How do you feel when your male friends respond to your pictures on social media? Does it make you happy when they respond?
10. Have you ever changed your hair and make-up because of your social media followers?
11. Does your physical image and appearance tend to affect your self-esteem and confidence?
12. Does social media influence your confidence when you interact with male friends?
13. What do you think social media represents women in this modern era?
14. Nowadays, do you think women have become too dependent on social media? If so, do you believe social media should be so important in your life?
15. From your personal opinion, what is the future of women in social media? Do you think Facebook and Twitter will become more important with time?

Interview Reflection Essay

Nowadays, women have become overdependent on social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. For that reason, this interview was formulated in accordance with several research questions. Foremost, what are young women’s sentiments towards how their male friends regard their body shapes and images? In addition, what are the effects of popular social media platforms on women’s perceptions of their body figures as well as on how they imitate celebrities’ social media profiles? For this study, it was deduced that interviews would yield more results than surveys. Unlike surveys which prioritize quantitative information, interviews allow researchers to enquire detailed information about the personal feelings and opinions of the target group.

The target population for this investigation was female undergraduate students at SMU aged from 18 to 22 years old. Reliable research studies indicate that approximately 90% of 18-29-year-old students use social networking websites (Fardouly, Diedrichs, Vartanian, & Halliwell, 2015). As such, selecting women from 18-22 years would allow the investigation to acquire a target population directly associated with excessive interactive media use. In order to attain the most optimal sample size, convenience sampling techniques were employed within the campus region. In essence, this sampling technique entails drawing a sample population from targets close to hand by using non-probability methods (Orcher, 2016). Although the sample size for this study is small, it will allow the researcher to obtain accurate information on women’s general perceptions.

            For this investigation, various ethical considerations needed to be taken into account before interviewing the target population. For instance, respect for anonymity and confidentiality was a key ethical consideration. As a result, anonymity was protected by ensuring that the subject’s identity and personal information were not disclosed after the conclusion of the interview. By doing so, it would ensure that the interviewees’ privacy was safeguarded. Another key consideration was informed consent. The autonomy of interviewees was protected by ensuring that the subjects knowingly and voluntarily participated in the investigation. In summary, the study adhered to the main ethical principles of research undertakings.

            Before the interview guide was formulated, it was vital to describe the nominal and operational definitions of the investigations. Thus, social media can be nominally defined as a set of contemporary interactive platforms that allow the rapid creation and sharing of user-generated messages using a plethora of instantaneous communication devices (Perloff, 2014). Consequently, the operational variables for this research undertaking are the rate of social media usage and the impact of media exposure on women’s perceptions. With these two variables, it will be possible to prove a positive correlation between social media use and its implications on women’s self-esteem and confidence.

            The formulation of the interview questions was quite an intricate process. The semi-structured questionnaire guide provided in the Appendix details the sequence of questions oriented toward the research objectives. As such, it will be discerned that the questions are strategically organized so that the interviewee can understand the flow of questions. By doing so, it will be possible to create a rapport between both sides of the conversation (Hermanowicz, 2002). On top of that, the interview was structured to probe the interviewee with questions so that the researcher could listen and accrue detailed information. In summary, the art of listening for valuable information sets great interviews apart from ordinary ones.

            The interview was outstandingly structured so it can enable one to obtain accurate information pertaining to social media use by young women on campus. Nonetheless, the main problem hindering the interview process was inconsistency in data given by different clients. As a result, it was difficult to discern which social media platforms were preferred. Hence, future investigations will require interviews that will be structured so that clients can elucidate how much time they spend on specific social media platforms. All in all, the interview process was successful in explaining the impact of social media platforms on women’s perceptions of their physical appearances.

References

Fardouly, J., Diedrichs, P. C., Vartanian, L. R., & Halliwell, E. (2015). Social comparisons

On social media: The impact of Facebook on young women's body image concerns and mood. Body Image, 13(1), 38-45.

Hermanowicz, J. C. (2002). The great interview: 25 strategies for studying people in bed.

Qualitative sociology, 25(4), 479-499.

Orcher, L. T. (2016). Conducting research: Social and behavioral science methods.

Routledge.

Perloff, R. M. (2014). Social media effects on young women’s body image concerns: Theoretical perspectives and an agenda for research. Sex Roles, 71(11-12), 363-377.