Gratifications of Instagram Use – A Systematic Literature Review

Abstract

The rapid growth and popularity of Instagram garnered scholarly attention. With the help of the uses and gratifications theory, the research community started scrutinising why users use Instagram. The present systematic literature review used the PSALSAR framework and examined the peer-reviewed published literature exploring the gratifications of Instagram (GOI).
Findings revealed the universe of emerging literature exploring the gratifications of Instagram with different methods, samples, and geographical contexts. As a theoretical contribution, the study unravelled GOI literature’s patterns, trends, and knowledge gaps. The SLR identified inconsistencies in GOI definitions and highlighted the need for more uniform gratification constructs. It revealed that GOI research is predominantly centred on the USA and other Western countries, underscoring the necessity for wider exploration among non-Western Instagram users. The review also emphasised the limited investigation of the GOI’s sociological origins. Further, it organised prior research into five thematic areas: (1) identification of GOI, (2) comparison of gratifications across sample groups, (3) comparison across social networking platforms, (4) use of gratifications to predict other variables, and (5) examination of gratification antecedents. Finally, the study outlined key limitations and proposed directions for future research.