Instagram user characteristics and the color of their photos: Colorfulness, color diversity, and color harmony

This study aims to explore the relationships between Instagram user characteristics and color features of their photos. Based on the assumption that individuals who are similar in characteristics would exhibit a similar style in their social media photos, this study pays attention to color as one of the key elements of style. An online survey to 179 university students measured their Big Five personality traits, narcissism, life satisfaction, loneliness, attitude to Instagram, and gender, and their Instagram photos were analyzed in terms of colorfulness, color diversity, and color harmony. Total 25,394 photos were analyzed. Results suggest that (1) agreeableness was the most relevant user variable associated with all color features; (2) the color features of Instagram photos were different by gender; (3) neuroticism of Instagram users was negatively associated with the color harmony of their photos; (4) color diversity was negatively correlated with loneliness, and romantic loneliness in particular; (5) users’ attitude to Instagram and the color harmony of their photos were positively correlated; and (6) extraversion of Instagram users was positively correlated with the color diversity while openness was negatively correlated with the color diversity and color harmony of their photos. They reveal that the color features of Instagram photos are linked to the characteristics of their uploader. The present study contributes to the body of research on color preference and online self-presentation. It not only exemplifies how the stylometric approach can be adopted to SNS research but also presents the link between user characteristics and the features of their posts at pixel-level, including color.