INSTAGRAM POST OF VIRTUAL INFLUENCERS CONSPICUOUS CONSUMPTION: A SEMIOTIC ANALYSIS

Today's changing socio-economic conditions have built a consumption-based social structure where images and ostentation are at the forefront. Many actors have an impact on the emergence of the structure in the consumer society. One of the actors that have recently come to the forefront in the consumer society is virtual influencers developed with artificial intelligence technology. Virtual influencers, who are digital characters, tend to show off by sharing content that will attract the attention of their followers on their social media accounts. One of the popular social media applications preferred by virtual influencers is Instagram. This study was prepared to evaluate the Instagram posts of virtual influencers in the context of ostentatious consumption. The fact that the study deals with the examples of virtual influencers in Türkiye, which has recently become the focus of attention in the literature, reveals its importance. For this purpose, the Instagram accounts of "Alin", "Ay Pera" and "Alara X", which are examples of virtual influencers in Türkiye, were analyzed in detail. Two posts of these three virtual influencers were identified in the context of purposive sampling and analyzed using the Roland Barthes semiotic analysis method. According to the research findings, it has come to the fore that the consumption habits of virtual influencers should be evaluated on the axis of luxury and ostentation. At the same time, ostentatious consumption is presented as a popular lifestyle in the posts of virtual influencers.