LIFE IN A STORY: THE NARRATIVE CONSTRUCTION PRACTICE OF DIGITAL INFLUENCERS IN NATAL (RN) ON INSTAGRAM STORIES
Digital Influencers; Instagram Stories; Narrative; Narrative Practices; Social media.
With the aim of identifying the characteristics of the media narratives constructed by digital influencers from Natal (RN) in Instagram Stories, which is the basis of this thesis research. Starting from the concepts of narrative (Aristotle, 2008; Barthes, 2011; Ricoeur, 1984, 1991, 1994, 1995, 1999) to focus on a media narrative (Silverstone, 2011; Motta, 2004, 2012, 2013; Barbosa, 2017), approaches that meet and complement theoretical research that still uses the themes of mediatization (Sodré, 2002, 2014, 2021; Hjarvard, 2015; Hepp, 2014; Couldry; Hepp, 2020), exposure of the self (Sibilia, 2016) and influence digital (Abidin; Karhawi, 2021; Karhawi, 2016, 2018, 2020). The empirical research, in addition to the theoretical one, is based on ethnographic inspiration (Fragoso; Recuero; Amaral, 2011), through the data collection techniques of direct observation and field diary. After monitoring the analyzed profiles for three years (2021, 2022, and 2023), we created a sample of 904 Stories, lasting seven days (12/17/2021, 02/10/2022, 09/05/2023, and 09/09/2023). To read the collected material, we used Motta's Pragmatic Narrative Analysis (2013), divided into seven narrative movements, five of which were the basis for applying the author's Theory and Narrative Analysis (2013) to develop our method. Analytical, capable of being replicated in other similar research. As a result, we have: 1) The construction of stratified media narrative practices on Instagram Stories, organized into Intimacy Strata, Advertising Strata, and Reposts; 2) The theoretical constitution of “Self Characters” by the analyzed group; And, finally, 3) The dramatic conflict of Digital Influence. Instagram Stories can, therefore, be understood as a contemporary device for media storytelling practices.