Experience Sharing on Social Networking Sites: A Glimpse into the Process, Benefits, and Drawbacks of Curated Experiences

This study seeks to gain a greater understanding of why individuals choose to share select experiences social networking sites and how the sharing of such experiences shapes their overall personal brand. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 individuals within the Millennial and Generation Z cohorts who had travelled in the last two years. The interviews were analyzed using an interpretivist epistemological approach. Impression Management Theory, Personal Branding Theory, and Critical Visual Methodology Theory, as well as constructs such as 'staged authenticity' and image framing were used to identify themes and categorize processes. Findings suggest that the process of posting involves all four sites of Critical Visual Methodology Theory and that pictures shared online are strongly influenced by Kodak. Professional and personal benefits and drawbacks of experience sharing are explored in detail. To conclude, there is a discussion of the research limitations and suggestions for future research.