Evaluating Sample Statistics Using Simple Mathematical Methods for Content Analysis

of Instagram Data as a Statistical Model to be Used as an Assumption Across Multiple

Social Media Platforms and Assessing Quantitative Data Samples as a Primer for web
Based Communicators.

Miguel A Velert
June 25, 2019
From the desk of Miguel A Velert
I dedicate this research to Steven, Connor, Karyn, Hallie, Alyssa, Brooke, Carmen, Jacob,
Spencer, Caleb, and Kendall.
 Instagram, once the purveyor of social interaction; a location where entertainment,

art, comedy, and politics create a simple, virtual amalgamation of photos into something

rather intricate. All the desires for instant gratification at the touch of a square hundreds of

pixels wide. Instagram has emerged as a mainstream for connecting with a world greater

than ourselves. While interest in such application has allowed us to enrich our own lives

and touch the lives of others, much about the personal purpose Instagram serves to a

specific user is left ambiguous in this scholarship.

This short, research essay attempts to dissect the patterns of a user but makes no

such attempt at hypothesizing the rationale and justification of this behavior. Building on a

new case study of username “jacobtanner18” we are able to gather quantitative and

interpretive data that contributes to the empirical project laid out within this discourse.

By gathering certain data from the “following” list of user “jacobtanner18” I will give

certain statistics, but will not present an argument for such evidence. I need to clarify that

there is no purpose or predisposed agency from my end regarding this research

proposition.

Without further delay, these are the findings including the parameters followed by

the mathematics and an illustration of the statistics.

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Findings

1513 total number of accounts following.

• Six [6] famous or celebrity accounts.

*One [1] verified account.

*Does not include famous or celebrity females, nor does it include Instagram models

or influencers.

• Two [2] obviously inactive accounts.

*accounts made some mention of their inactivity.

• Eighty [80] male accounts.

*Does not include the six [6] famous accounts.

*Accounts which could not be distinguished as male or female were grouped into

this category for benefit of the doubt.

*Four [4] accounts could not be distinguished as male or female. This is an

arbitrarily small number as it would not change the final statistics and could very

well have been a counting error.

• One thousand four hundred twenty-five [1425] female accounts.

*includes famous/celebrity female accounts and Instagram models.

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Math

Variables replacing. When a sample is used it is returned to the whole. This is because I

used non-replacing mathematics in my written work and it is not as fun.

1513 following
6 famous
2 inactive
80 male
1425 female

1) 6/1513=.00396563 or .00397

.00397x100=.397%

.397% of accounts followed are famous/celebrities.

2) 2/1513=.00132188 or .00132

.00132x100=.132%

.133% of accounts followed are inactive.

3) 80/1513=.05287508 or .05288

.05288x100=5.288%

5.288% of accounts followed are male.

4) 1425/1513=.94183741 or .94184

.94184x100=94.184%

94.184% of accounts followed are female.

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The results show that this user is following a vastly unnecessary number of women.

The numbers appear to be wildly inordinate and not proportional to the other

demographics.

I would appreciate a further study into the rationalization for such behavior and if I may for

lack of a better term, the return on investment (ROI) of following such a large number of

women.

Graph

Accounts Following
Male Female Famous Inactive
Famous 0% Inactive 0%
Male 5%

Female 94%