Refined Research Question

The refined research question of this project is: How do Instagram users post images and comments in relation to the traditionally Christian word "blessed" in a way that is personal to the individual?

Through my research, it has been made very clear that people express religious identity in various ways. It has also come to my attention that the use of a religious word does not necessarily mean the user is trying to convey a religious message. It is very possible that the word blessed has taken on a secular meaning, which I would like to explore in this project. While there have been a few references to Christianity, such as the picture of the vineyard and being a vine, a majority of the pictures have been geared towards random topics such as relationships and gratitude. If I had to answer this research question today, I would say that Instagram is a site that users have chosen to freely express their identity on. Their use of the word blessed along with their posts implies that they are suggesting a religious meaning with their post. However, I think there is a definite mix of secular meaning with religious meaning, and it is a fluid relationship that is hard to concretely identify. I am hoping that with further research on lived religion, some trends will appear in how users are expressing themselves.