Negotiating Algorithmic Hegemony: Influencers’ Resistance Practices on Instagram

Abstract

This study examines how Instagram influencers experience algorithmic domination and develop forms of resistance against it. The phenomenon of changes in the Instagram algorithm is interesting to study phenomenologically because it is directly related to the subjective experiences of influencers in the process of content production and distribution. The research questions cover two main issues: how influencers experience and understand the dominance (hegemony) of the Instagram algorithm in their creative activities, and how forms of counter-hegemony are carried out in response to this algorithmic pressure. This study uses Antonio Gramsci's theory of hegemony as the main theoretical framework to analyze how digital power operates through consent, not solely coercion. The methodology used is a qualitative approach with a phenomenological design, involving ten active (Indonesian) influencer informants who were interviewed in depth to explore their experiences and reflections. The Sample size is adequate for capturing the richness of meaning rather than statistical generalization. Informants were selected to represent five categories of influencers based on follower count (nano, micro, mid-tier, macro and mega), with two informants from each category to ensure diverse perspectives. The results show that the Instagram algorithm functions as an invisible hegemonic force that normalizes compliance and shapes influencers’ content production patterns. However, creators also demonstrate resistance (counter-hegemony) in the form of personal creativity, collective solidarity, and platform diversification. They negotiate the boundaries between following the algorithm and maintaining personal values??as a form of agency in the digital landscape. These findings contribute to the discourse on digital media by highlighting the dialectical nature of the relationship between influencers and platforms, marked by an ongoing tension between structural domination and cultural resistance.