Instagram and the Reconfiguration of Youth Fashion: A Study of Changing Fashion Trends Among 17-24-Year-Olds in Kasaragod District, Kerala.

Abstract

DOI : https://doi.org/10.82471/kev3c-d5h77

This study aims to assess the influence of Instagram on the changing fashion trends among the 17 to 24-year-old population in Kasaragod district, Kerala, India. As a social media platform, Instagram has been a significant part of the lives of many young people around the world. Instagram has overtaken many traditional sources such as magazines and newspapers as a source of information on fashion. A quantitative survey research design was adopted for this study, with 120 respondents selected from undergraduate and postgraduate students who were given a questionnaire to fill. The study focuses on Instagram's role in changing the respondents' fashion trends and the influence of Instagram influencers on the respondents. The study also looks at the extent to which Instagram has contributed to the rise in online shopping by the respondents. The study finds that Instagram has had an influence on the changing fashion trends of its users, as reflected in their increased usage of the social media application, with 69% of the respondents indicating that Instagram Reels is the most influential feature for fashion trends on the application. The study also finds that Instagram has not resulted in significant pressure on the respondents to keep up with the changing fashion trends, with 50% of the respondents indicating that they do not feel pressurized to follow the trends on Instagram, and 61.9% of the respondents also indicated that they do not follow Korean fashion. The study provides invaluable information on the influence of this social media platform on fashion trends among the youth.

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