AN EXPLORATION OF CONSUMER DIGITAL COMMUNITIES AND THEIR ENGAGEMENT IN ACHIEVING IDEALIZED BEAUTY STANDARDS

Abstract

This research study explores the ways in which Sri Lankan women negotiate, construct, and challenge beauty standards within the highly dynamic, user-generated context of Facebook consumer communities. Addressing a significant gap in South Asian digital cultural studies, the research investigates the complex interplay of colonial legacies, global beauty trends, and algorithmic influences in shaping idealized beauty standards .The main objective of the study is to explore the influence of social media communities on achieving idealized beauty standards of females. Employing a qualitative ethnographic approach, the study explores in-depth thematic analysis of thousands of user-generated posts and comments drawn from four prominent, public Sri Lankan beauty groups; thus, approximately 50 to 100 posts were analyzed across each of the four groups. The findings reveal a digital ecosystem in which peerto-peer trust is often more influential than commercial advertising, thus the study reviles that Women actively develop hybrid “local” beauty identities by combining traditional Ayurvedic practices with global cosmetic trends. Furthermore, these communities function in a crucial manner that fosters emotional support within their digital community. This study adopted community of practice theory and postcolonial theory in alignment to achieve study objectives. The study concludes that Facebook beauty communities are not merely passive recipients . Instead, they function as active Communities of Practice where women play a significant role in shaping beauty perceptions.