Exploring gender portrayals in popular Instagram influencers' alcohol-related posts

The consumption of alcohol is linked to various negative health consequences, and digital alcohol marketing and content have been observed to influence the drinking behaviours and attitudes of young individuals. Notably, alcohol-related posts are prevalent on platforms popular among youth, such as Instagram. Moreover, drinking practices are heavily influenced by gender, and digital alcohol marketing shapes our understanding of gender and gender roles. Given that these platforms feature influential figures instrumental in marketing products to their user bases, they have the potential to shape gender-specific drinking practices. However, there is limited research on how Instagram influencers may portray gendered ideals through their alcohol-related content. The aim of this research was to explore how influencers portray gender in their alcohol-related posts on Instagram. This research adopts a social constructionist approach to investigate the gendered discourses conveyed in the images and videos posted by popular Instagram influencers.

This research consisted of two stages. First a content analysis was undertaken to summarise the content and identify four influencers for a more in-depth analysis of posts. Second, a multi-modal discourse analysis was employed to assess how different semiotic modes converge to communicate these gendered discourses in the context of alcohol.

Three primary discourses were identified in the posts: "traditional femininity," "empowered femininity," and "hegemonic masculinity". Constructed within the discourse of traditional femininity were "women's drinking as sophisticated," "women engaging in traditional pastimes," and "alcohol as a fashionable accessory". These collectively reflect the expectation that women's portrayal of alcohol consumption online must align with traditional feminine behaviours. Constructed within the discourse of empowered femininity were ideas of "empowered self-sexualization," where women reclaim their sexuality to promote alcohol use, and "women's engagement with the night-time economy," where women are empowered to participate in drinking and celebration within historically male-dominated spaces. The discourse of hegemonic masculinity constructed ideas of "male bonding and camaraderie," where men use drinking to foster male friendships, "men's adherence to traditionally male traits," where men must still portray their male friendships within the bounds of hegemonic masculinity and "female sexualization" as part of the enjoyment of alcohol and celebration.

The findings underscore the deep-rooted nature of gendered ideals in alcohol-related content on social media. Additionally, they reveal the existence of multiple and often overlapping femininities that women are expected to conform to. These discourses highlight the conflicting nature of female drinking identities, where women are still expected to align their alcohol use with traditional femininity, causing tensions when trying to break free from these standards. Moreover, hegemonic masculinity continues to dictate how men conduct and present their drinking, constraining their ability to freely express joy, celebration, and male friendship. Exploring gender portrayals within alcohol-related content has implications for the health of both alcohol and Instagram users, specifically for those whose understandings of gendered drinking practices are informed by their social media use. This research brings to attention the harmful gendered ideals that are performed and perpetuated on social media, in relation to alcohol content.