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Ethnographing Instagram’s stories: sociotechnical experiments in digital media

Abstract

Inspired by discussions in science and technology studies and ethnography in online contexts, I sought to describe how some sociotechnical associations occur in digital media. Based on the observation of content on an influencer’s profile on Instagram, I tried to create a field report that made visible not only the actions of the subjects, but also the different technical mediations that permeate these practices. I argue that these sociotechnical associations, with their human and machine agencies, constitute the work of content creators. The report is, above all, an experiment, an attempt to construct a less linear and anthropocentric narrative about what happens on social networks. I suggest that understanding these sociotechnical relationships tensions and can renew ethnographic practice.

Keywords:
digital influencers; ethnography; science and technology studies; experimentations

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