How I got here : A biographical identity study on Indonesian digital creators’ participation in sustainable advocacy online

Sammanfattning

Social media, such as Instagram, has become a visible space for environmental advocacy, where digital creators, including influencers and content creators, engage in sustainability efforts. This study explores how Indonesian digital creators engage with such topics, enquiring whether their content stems from personal experience, prior knowledge, or as a form of strategic affiliation. Using a mixed-methods approach that combines qualitative interviews with the scroll-back method, the research focuses on two female digital creators. It examines how they construct their identities, integrate personal histories and skills into sustainable narratives, and how they perceive their audience. The study also draws on various theories of identity and labour to understand how content creation intersects with personal storytelling and professional aspirations. This thesis found that the Indonesian digital creators adopted shifting, fluid identity personas informed by past experiences and current motivations, in both personal and professional contexts. Their participation in sustainability messaging is predominantly informed and inspired by the geographical locations where they are based, combined with the knowledge and expertise they gathered from their prior professional endeavours (e.g., fashion, fitness, business, etc.). They also perceive their audience strategically, and the true intentions behind their content considerations may not always resonate with the broader sentiments of their audience. Finally, this study contributes to media and communication studies by shedding light on digital creators beyond the hegemonic view of them as mere economic actors, which primarily emerges from business and mass communication angles. Methodologically, it makes a significant contribution to the development of the scroll-back method by adapting it to Instagram. Future research could explore other digital platforms, transnational networks, and creative digital ethnography to deepen comprehension of digital identity and persona creation.