Consumerism, Status Quo, and Virtual Reality through Food Photos Uploading on Instagra 
Alfitri1, Farisha Sestri Musdalifah2
1Dr. Alfitri, Department of Sociology, Faculty of Social and Political Science, Sriwijaya University, Palembang, Indonesia.
2Farisha Sestri Musdalifah, Lecturer, Faculty of Social and Political Science, Sriwijaya University, Palembang, Indonesia.
Manuscript received on 02 September 2019 | Revised Manuscript received on 12 September 2019 | Manuscript Published on 23 September 2019 | PP: 766-772 | Volume-8 Issue-5C, May 2019 | Retrieval Number: E11090585C19/19©BEIESP | DOI: 10.35940/ijeat.E1109.0585C19
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© The Authors. Blue Eyes Intelligence Engineering and Sciences Publication (BEIESP). This is an open access article under the CC-BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)
Abstract: The rapid development of information technology and the proliferation of restaurants and cafes in urban areas make eating activities no longer a primary need. This study examines the phenomenon of uploading food photos on Instagram. Nowadays, when eating out, people tend to take food photos before consuming it. This phenomenon is something that generally happens. The food photo is uploaded to social media, mostly on Instagram. The uploader of food photos on Instagram is known as Instagram Foodies. These symptoms continue to be made by consuming food and eating out not for the purpose of primary needs, but rather on symbolic things. This phenomenon will be examined using Jean Baudrillard’s theory about consumer society, who consumes signs to fulfil the desire for self-existence. This study used a qualitative method by interviewing four foodies who were well known in following the latest trends of foods and places in Jakarta city and taking food photos before consuming it. The result of this study shows that foodies will continue to consume and keep up with the latest trends in food so that it can be uploaded to Instagram as content. This activity is done to maintain their status quo as the foodies on Instagram. The foodies believe that food consumption and uploading food photos on Instagram are done with a desire to show self-existence on Instagram as its virtual reality. The virtual reality of the foodies is the symbol as ‘the foodies’ on Instagram itself.
Keywords: Food Consumerism, Food Photos, Consumer Society, Status Quo, Instagram,Virtual Reality.
Scope of the Article: Virtual Reality