VISUAL CONTENT ANALYSIS OF WOMEN INFLUENCERS IN THE MIDDLE EAST

Abstract

The literature has confirmed that social media influencers influence different aspects of their followers. The literature has studied the impact of these celebrities on social media on their followers, who reach thousands or millions. This study aimed to complete the other side and examine the accounts of celebrities to find out what these audiences are exposed to. This study analyzed the visual content of six mega Arab women influencers on Instagram: Nour Arida, Nour Stars, Amani Al-Hanthi, Doha Al-Araibi, Amal Samir, and Maram Douzi. This study examined four aspects of influencers' posts: body image and looks, representation of others, and work to reveal how these celebrities represent women in Arab societies. The study also divided celebrities into celebrities from Asia and others from Africa and compared them. The study found that the body image of the female influencers in the sample is not perfect. In this regard, the study also found that veiled influencers are careful not to show their body image. We also found that modern fashion dominates the tastes of female influencers. However, some influencers still wear traditional fashions from their culture and traditions. In addition, the study revealed that some female influencers' accounts depend for their fame on depicting family atmosphere. The findings also showed that female celebrities prefer to refrain from showing aspects of their professional lives to their followers on the application. Finally, the study found that there are no fundamental differences between influencers from Asia and Africa.