The Difference of Conspicuous Consumption between Gym and Home Workouts

Abstract

This study examines current developments of conspicuous consumption in the fitness community on social media. During the Covid-19-pandemic digital communities had to change as in-person events were canceled. This paper investigates the differences in conspicuous consumption for fitness content creators, depending on their workout location (gym vs. home workout). Through a netnography based on Instagram, posts and videos were qualitatively analyzed. While conspicuous consumption was present in both workout styles, it differed in its manifestation. Posts about gym workouts focused more unilaterally on the status of the content creator by using measurable goals, lighting, posing, and hashtags about their body parts. In contrast, home workouts focused on the status achieved through community building by showing training instructions for the followers and engaging in the comments. Social media users seem to be able to engage in conspicuous consumption with the fitness community through following content creators.