New research uncovers how Instagram’s top family meal posts and polished images could be applying pressure of unrealistic expectations to parents whilst fueling gender stereotypes.
Study: From plate to post: exploring representations of #familymeals through a content analysis of Instagram. Image credit: Nicoleta Ionescu/Shutterstock.com
A recent study published in Health Promotion International used a qualitative content analysis approach to investigate how family meals are represented on Instagram. Research revealed that Instagram content often portrays a perfect meal at an unattainable standard, which may unnecessarily raise pressure and expectations regarding food preparation and family mealtimes.
How does social media impact family meals?
Social media influences almost all aspects of life, including what and how a family eats. A significant number of people worldwide spend a considerable amount of time on social media. Instagram is one of the most popular social media platforms, having more than 1.7 billion users.
Many people discuss food and nutrition on their social media accounts. The study notes that individuals are actively seeking and passively exposed to food-related information while scrolling through their media feeds or watching reels.
A recent survey has indicated that 44% of US adults follow nutrition influencers on Instagram, while 53% of South African university students follow nutrition pages on popular social media platforms. Using hashtags related to food and nutrition has substantially increased post and account exposure. Hashtags, such as #dinnertime, #crunchy, #delicious, #withfriends, #peasandcorn, and #vegetables, cover diverse food-related content, including texture, nutrient content, type, and specific mealtime preferences.
Several people, such as parents and caregivers, share their personal knowledge, observations, and practical experiences of feeding a family on social media, which may influence many others. Instagram is a popular platform where many people seek advice on various food-related topics.
Previous research has shown that real and perceived internal and external expectations influence a parent's decisions on what and how a child should be fed. In the family meal context, most families face additional pressure to feed children “well” and promote family bonding. Many times, parents seek information on food and nutrition from social media. However, it is essential to recognize that not all information circulating on social media is factual.
Considering the widespread use of social media and the exchange of diverse information, assessing how people discuss family meals in less structured settings is imperative.
About the study
The current study aimed to identify which family members post about family meals on Instagram more commonly and how people portray family meals on the Instagram platform.
For data collection, four hashtags, i.e., #familydinner, #familymeals, #familylunch, and #familybreakfast, were visited once a week between 15 February and 16 May 2024. The top 15 posts linked with each hashtag were collected, resulting in 60 posts per week. A total of 840 posts were collected and considered throughout the data collection period after removing duplicates and ineligible posts. Any temporary posts, such as reels or stories, were not considered.
A qualitative content analysis approach was used to analyze images, text, and video content of Instagram posts about family meals. All data, including information about the account (e.g., bio and number of followers) and the post (e.g., likes, number of comments, and caption), were managed in a secure password-protected database called Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap).
Study findings
A total of 564 unique posts from 359 unique accounts were obtained across all hashtags, with a median of 15,600 followers per account. Although most of the selected Instagram users were single account holders, a small proportion of group accounts were also considered. Approximately 38% of all accounts were self-identified or classified as recipe developers among all the selected users.
Weight loss, public figure, and dietitian/nutritionist accounts were among the least common across all hashtags. Across all hashtags, #familylunch had the highest number of unique user accounts (108) compared to #familymeals, which had the fewest unique users (64). In contrast to group users who mostly used #familylunch, individual accounts dominantly used all hashtags.
Interestingly, most (86.3%) account holders were women, and of accounts where parenting status could be determined, nearly all were mothers. Individuals self-identified as food bloggers, lifestyle influencers, and travel influencers were among the highest users of #familylunch and #familybreakfast. However, account holders of self-identified or classified parenting bloggers mostly used #familybreakfast. Only a small minority of male food-based content creators identified as fathers and only posted under #familylunch and #familydinner.
Instagram content was classified into three categories: carousel (29%), single image (33.3%), and single video posts (36.7%). The current study indicated that carousel posts were most common across all hashtags for #familylunch, followed by single-image posts for #familymeals and single-image posts for #familydinner. Approximately 81% of posts with #familymeals appeared staged, while only 46% of posts with #familylunch were classified as appearing authentic.
Taken together, most users posting content about family meals were recipe developers, and their posts were highly curated and plated food or drink. With a few authentic posts, this study highlights a stark divide between the polished, curated portrayal of family meals on social media and the real-life experiences of parents.
Conclusions
The current study indicated that although social media may be a valuable channel for improving family meals and healthy eating, further research is needed to analyze the real impact of these posts on parents’ behaviors and practices.
The distribution of misinformation and unrealistic portrayals could cause harm to those who believe them to be true. Furthermore, this study indicated that preparing family meals is still viewed as “women’s work”; therefore, more initiatives are required to encourage a balanced distribution of domestic work.
The study concludes that Instagram content about family meals often reinforces unattainable standards and traditional gender roles, suggesting a need for more realistic representations and a broader sharing of domestic responsibilities.
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