From lifestyle to commodity: How Instagram users construct and circulate wellness narratives.

This article examines how Instagram users construct and circulate wellness-related content through posts tagged #Wellness, analyzing 1,500 public posts to identify thematic dimensions of wellness including physical, emotional, intellectual, social, spiritual, sustainable, and commodification aspects. The study finds that while wellness is portrayed as a multifaceted and attainable state involving lifestyle choices and self-improvement, it is predominantly framed within a commercial context where wellness is commodified through promotion of products and services by influencers, professionals, and brands. This commodification aligns with consumer culture and neoliberal ideologies, emphasizing individual responsibility and self-optimization, often overlooking broader social factors and potentially fostering unrealistic expectations. The article highlights the role of Instagram's algorithms in amplifying market-driven wellness narratives and calls for critical engagement, regulatory measures, and digital literacy initiatives to address the unregulated and sometimes misleading nature of wellness content on the platform.