Unveiling Power Dynamics on Instagram: A Neo-medieval Analysis of Algorithmic control, Influencers and Users

Abstract: Instagram is a large social media platform with strong power dynamics between the company, influencers and the users. Exploring this power dynamic within a theoretical framework rooted in neo-medievalism, this study investigates how power structures are manifested and enacted on the platform. The central research question focuses on the exercise of power from both hierarchical positions: from above through regulations, guidelines, and algorithms, and from below through methods such as public shaming. To address these research questions, three distinct types of material were analyzed, capturing the upward and downward power dynamics within Instagram. Additionally, the study examined the strategies employed by influencers, and the tools utilized by users to control and influence the behavior of influencers. The research objectives were further refined into specific questions concerning the power methods employed by Instagram through their Terms and Conditions, the effects on influencers and their adaptive behaviors within the platform, and the methods employed by followers in practicing power through comment sections. The findings of the study highlight the resonance between power practices on social media and those observed in medieval contexts. Power is exercised from above through regulatory changes and the enigmatic and ever-changing algorithm, ultimately controlled by Instagram. This distribution of digital space mirrors the medieval kingdom, where influencers hold limited control over their assigned territories while the ultimate authority remains with the platform itself. Consequently, influencers' ability to monetize their digital space is constrained by Instagram's restrictive actions. Furthermore, the study illuminates how power is exercised from below, with followers employing methods such as cyber vigilantism, mob-culture, and public shaming to assert influence. The vulnerability of influencers becomes evident as they are subject to algorithmic mechanisms and the pervasive effects of ridicule and cancel culture, despite their apparent advantages in terms of income, branding, and follower count. In conclusion, this study emphasizes the limited agency of influencers within the platform and the practices of power exerted by users through various means. By unraveling these power dynamics, this research contributes to a deeper understanding of the complexities and implications of power on social media platforms.