Presenter: Shenchen Qu

Title: Tracing Empowerment and Anxiety in Women’s Identity Formation: Narrating a Proposed Discourse Analysis of Algorithm-Driven Social Media Content

Type of Presentation: Oral Presentation

Abstract

I am interested in this topic because I noticed that image-based social media platforms often promote women’s entrepreneurship while simultaneously intensifying anxiety. This oral presentation explores how algorithm-driven social media content shapes women’s identity formation through competing narratives of empowerment and self-objectification. Researchers such as Perloff (2014) and Wang (2024) argued that social media reinforces narrow beauty standards and body anxiety through repeated exposure to idealized images. In contrast, Liu (2023) argued that virtual identity construction and online visibility may also increase women’s confidence and economic empowerment. However, there is still a gap in understanding how and why algorithmic content produces different long-term behavioural responses such as dieting and entrepreneurship among young women when considering social norms. This proposed study asks: Why do some women perceive social media as empowering while others experience it as anxiety-inducing? My research plan would involve analyzing approximately 30 Instagram posts and comments through discourse analysis and thematic coding informed by feminist and social comparison theories. Additionally, 5 peer-reviewed media studies literature from UBC Library would be combined to explain principles of the algorithmic push mechanism. I expect the findings to show that norms-challenging content cannot gain engagement without conforming to norms-reinforcing aesthetic standards. A limitation of this research is it just interprets identity formation through public-facing online interactions.

Biography

Katherine is a first-year international student. She plans to pursue an arts degree and focus on psychology. She is particularly interested in how media shapes emotional behavior in the contemporary digital era. Beyond academics, Katherine enjoys exploring visual arts history and joining online communities related to photography, dance and music. Additionally, Katherine hopes to gain more knowledge in both micro and macro psychology to prepare for future careers in counseling or healthcare.