Perceptions of dark-skinned beauty on social media using social identity theory : the case of #melaninmagic on Instagram

Abstract

The saying, “If you’re white, you’re alright, if you’re brown, stick around, but if you’re black, get back” has been around for generations and has racial connotations linked to colourism, a social issue that ranks light skin as the epitome of beauty. While most people of colour have fallen victim to colourism, Indians idolise light skin so much that dark-skinned people are villainised and discriminated against, and skin-lightening businesses thrive on Indian people’s desire to be of a lighter skin tone. Millennials and Gen Z are fighting the stigma of colourism through hashtag activism. The hashtag #MelaninMagic has influenced many dark- and medium-skinned individuals to embrace and celebrate their skin tone despite the discrimination faced in previous generations. In this study, the hashtag #MelaninMagic is investigated, using social identity theory and how #MelaninMagic shapes the perceptions of dark-skinned beauty on Instagram and influences users to embrace the social category into which their skin colour falls is explored. The reasons Instagrammers use filters and the likelihood they will compare their selfies to others before posting was also explored. The research approach is a qualitative paradigm within the interpretivist paradigm. Sixteen (16) Indian South Africans between the ages of 23‒30 were purposively selected for oneon-one, semi-structured interviews. The findings indicate that #MelaninMagic is used as a tool of empowerment for darkand medium-skinned Instagrammers to express pride about their skin tone, and social media is being used as a tool for change such that the representation of dark-skinned beauty is more evident on Instagram than in traditional media. The aim of Millennials and Gen Z is to end the toxic cycles passed down from generation to generation through having open minds. The phenomenon of skin lightening was also investigated and filters emerged as a modern-day skin lightener. The reasons filters are used to lighten skin in selfies was explored and narrowed down to the influence of family on social categorisation and the caste system. It is also worthy to note that medium-skin tone individuals identitifed as dark-skinned because of the way others made them feel about their skin colour. Based on the findings of this study, it was recommended that a mixed-method approach and more participants across different cities in South Africa can be considered in future studies.