Over this semester, I’ve dedicated a significant amount of time to immersing myself in the ‘Female Hormonal Health and Fitness’ niche, primarily on TikTok. This online space delves into the intersection of female hormonal health, fitness, and wellbeing, disseminated through various online platforms. As a female with PCOS who is interested in health and fitness, I enjoy consuming this media online – it makes me feel empowered, educated and less isolated. The content is relatable on many levels – not only does it offer content specific to women with PCOS, it also covers the subjects of menstruation and hormone imbalances, and how they impact female wellbeing.
To explore this niche, I engaged in content creation and observation primarily on TikTok under @unmatched.fitness, as well as on Pinterest and Instagram.
This approach is rooted in ‘Media ethnography,’ which focuses on the context of media rather than its content. My ethnographic research aims to uncover the intricacies of this media niche, examining when and where people engage with it and how it integrates into their daily lives.
In this report, I will analyse my experiences and insights within this media niche using an autoethnographic approach.
Autoethnography as a Method
Autoethnography is a research method that combines personal narratives and ethnographic observations to explore and understand a particular culture or context. In this report, autoethnography serves as a tool to examine my observations, learnings, and participation within the ‘Female Hormonal Health and Fitness’ niche.
Autoethnography is a highly personal research approach that links the researcher’s lived experiences to the broader context of the niche, spanning across platforms. Using an autoethnographic approach when researching the ‘Female Hormonal Health and Fitness’ media landscape bridges the gap between personal experiences and academic understanding, and faciliates my exploration of this media niche.
Throughout my autoethnographic research, I kept a log of audience, creator and content observations within the niche.
From this, I identified three major epiphanies.
Three Major Epiphanies
In this report, I will delve into three pivotal epiphanies that have shaped my understanding of the ‘Female Hormonal Health and Fitness’ media niche across various digital platforms. An epiphany, in this context, refers to a transformative moment or realisation that has had a profound impact on my journey in this niche, as observed and documented on platforms like TikTok and Instagram. These epiphanies represent critical points of transformation, highlighting how my autoethnnographic research has informed my perceptions and understanding of the niche.
Epiphany 1: Understanding the Complexity of Hormonal Health
My first major epiphany in this media niche revolves around the complex nature of hormonal health, as depicted on platforms like TikTok and Instagram. This realisation came about through encounters with various content pieces, research, and personal experiences within the niche. These experiences led to a deeper appreciation of the intricate and often individualised challenges women face in managing their hormonal health.
I recognised that hormonal health isn’t a one-size-fits-all concept. It is influenced by a myriad of factors, including genetics, lifestyle, and personal circumstances, a perspective primarily encountered on platforms like Instagram, YouTube, and online forums. Smaller sub-niches, such as those focusing on PCOS-based health and fitness and the impact of hormonal fluctuations, helped me grasp the intricate dynamics of hormonal health.
The article ‘#PCOS influencers: Understanding who, why, and how online content for PCOS is influenced’ (Elhariry et al. 2022) reinforced my epiphany by revealing that PCOS is a multifaceted condition affecting not only reproductive health but also emotional well-being and physical health. Social media influencers (a key aspect of my research) discussed in the source use their platforms to disseminate PCOS-related information, encompassing aspects such as wellbeing, lifestyle advice, recommended diets, and more. This emphasises the importance of evidence-based information in understanding hormonal health complexities and aligns with my recognition that hormonal health isn’t one-size-fits-all, requiring nuanced discussions and support.
Epiphany 2: The Empowerment of Inclusive Narratives
The second epiphany I encountered centred on the empowerment of inclusive narratives within the media niche. This realisation emerged as I engaged with content creators who were championing inclusivity in terms of body types, cultural backgrounds, and health experiences.
It became evident that the power of representation within the niche was transformative, fostering a sense of belonging and motivation, as expressed across these digital platforms. This epiphany encouraged me to examine the importance of creating content that welcomes diverse perspectives and recognises the uniqueness of each individual’s journey. As a result, I applied this within my own content creation and observed an increase in audience engagement.
The article ‘Hashtag Hormones: Characterising PCOS-Related Content on TikTok’ (Dubrosa et al. 2023) provided insights into the dynamics of PCOS-related content on TikTok, emphasising the importance of social media platforms in shaping discussions related to health conditions. It aligns with my epiphany by illustrating how social media platforms serve as spaces for inclusive narratives and empowerment.
Epiphany 3: The Interaction of Evidence and Personal Experience
My final major epiphany relates to the interaction between evidence-based knowledge and personal experiences in this media niche. As I delved deeper into the niche, I realised that many individuals, including content creators (both qualified and unqualified), blended scientific knowledge with their own lived experiences to provide holistic guidance.
This epiphany highlighted the significance of balancing factual information with anecdotal insights, recognizing that both contribute to a comprehensive understanding of women’s hormonal health. I began to appreciate the value of critical thinking and the ability to discern reliable sources from less credible ones, a skill I honed while navigating the content available on platforms like Instagram and TikTok.
The article, ‘Social Media Metrics: Third-Person Perceptions of Health Information’ (Stavrositu & Kim 2014), connects to this epiphany by exploring how online content and user-generated feedback influence perceptions and behaviours. It highlights the impact of social media metrics and emphasises the importance of user feedback and the influence it can have on content perceptions and behavioural intentions. This aligns with my epiphany on the interplay between evidence and personal experience by showcasing how individuals perceive media can influence their behaviours, reinforcing my understanding of the consequences of behavioural intentions.
Analysis and Reflection
Each of the three major epiphanies has played a transformative role in my journey within the ‘Female Hormonal Health and Fitness’ media niche, as I encountered and contributed to it across digital platforms like TikTok and Instagram.
These epiphanies connect to broader social, cultural, and theoretical insights, emphasising the niche’s role in shaping individual perceptions of health and well-being, as represented on these platforms.
Through autoethnography, I have explored and challenged my own biases and assumptions, recognising the potential for personal growth and greater empathy as I navigated the complexities of this niche on digital platforms.
The ethnographic research skills developed during this research, including perspective, conceptualising, contextualising, mapping, including, comparing, contrasting, problematising, reflexivity and flexibility, have been instrumental in shaping my understanding of the niche.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the three major epiphanies experienced within the ‘Female Hormonal Health and Fitness’ media niche reflect the transformative nature of autoethnography as a method of exploration.
In summary, my autoethnographic research helped bridge my personal experiences and academic understanding. As a result, I was able to gain a deeper understanding of the intricacies of the media niche ‘Female Hormonal Health and Fitness’, including when and where people engage with content, and how it integrates into their everyday lives.
Reference List
- Ellis, C, Adams, TE & Bochner, AP 2010, ‘Autoethnography: An Overview’, Forum Qualitative Sozialforschung / Forum: Qualitative Social Research, vol. 12, no. 1.
- Daymon, C & Holloway, I 2011, Qualitative research methods in public relations and marketing communications, National Library of Australia (new catalog), 2nd ed, Routledge, New York, NY, pp. 145–163, viewed 29 July 2023, <https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/4981692>.
- Moore C, (2023), ‘BCM 241’, online videos, BCM 241, University of Wollongong, viewed 2023.
- Creswell, John W. (2016) 30 Essential Skills for the Qualitative Researcher, Sage: Los Angeles, accessed 5 August 2023.
- Elhariry, M, Malhotra, K, Solomon, M, Goyal, K & Kempegowda, P 2022, ‘Top 100 #PCOS influencers: Understanding who, why and how online content for PCOS is influenced’, Frontiers in Endocrinology, vol. 13.
- Dubrosa, F, Sangiuolo, K, Terala, A, Cheng, E, Wang, X, O’Connor, M & Bakhtiani, P 2023, Hashtag Hormones: Characterizing PCOS-Related Content on TikTok, impe-abstracts.bioscientifica.com, vol. 96, Bioscientifica, viewed 10 October 2023, <https://impe-abstracts.bioscientifica.com/impe/0096/impe0096p134>.
- Stavrositu, CD & Kim, J 2014, ‘Social media metrics: Third-person perceptions of health information’, Computers in Human Behavior, vol. 35, pp. 61–67.