Browsing by Author "Kutvonen, Hanna"

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Other people’s likes - How has Instagram affected illustrators’ careers, mental well-being and ways of working
(2021) Kutvonen, Hanna
School of Arts, Design and Architecture | Master's thesis
Social media and visual professions, such as illustration, go hand in hand. The objective of this Master´s thesis is to understand how and for what purpose illustrators use social media, focusing on using Instagram, as it is the main social media platform where illustrators share their work. It examines what kinds of effects it has on their practices, careers, and mental well-being. It is aimed at finding out which effects practitioners consider positive or negative and how to cope with and overcome possible negative effects. The topic of this Master´s thesis is contextualised by research into social media, especially Instagram, and the connection between social media and mental well-being. In addition, the profession of illustrators is examined in its present state. I conducted a literature review, secondary research, email interviews and Instagram surveys. The findings revealed that Instagram has affected illustrators’ careers in a positive way but has both positive and negative impacts on illustrators’ mental well-being. Illustrators can easily showcase their work through Instagram and become known for their work through the platform. However, Instagram can also influence the self-perceptions of illustrators as professionals and individuals, because when they present works that they have created, Instagram ranks those creations by likes, comments, and other kinds of reactions – which because of their quantifiable nature, may be perceived as an indicator of whether or not an illustrator has succeeded in their work. As an end result, this master’s thesis proposes solutions for how individuals might cope and overcome negative effects.