Introduction: The educational and cohesive influence of the father is directly related to his authority within family relationships, and this authority plays a significant role in organizing family life. Therefore, although the role and position of the father vary across societies due to cultural and social differences, there is a shared understanding across cultures regarding the principle of “respect for the father.” It can be argued that many dysfunctions and irregularities within the Iranian family are rooted in the absence or marginalization of the “father” in domestic relations. The removal of the father from family interactions generates numerous harms and challenges to the family structure, particularly with regard to its educational and socializing functions.
Producers of short video clips and content creators active on Instagram are commonly referred to as “Viners.” Instagram Viners seek subjects that attract and retain audiences in order to produce and publish humorous content. One of the most frequent and popular themes among them is the figure of the “father.” Persian-language Instagram Viner pages are filled with content that directly or indirectly addresses the concept of fatherhood. Accordingly, the present study aims to analyze the representation of the father on the social network Instagram, with a specific focus on popular Iranian Viner pages.
The theoretical framework of this study is based on Stuart Hall’s theory of representation, one of the foundational approaches in media and cultural studies. The research employs qualitative content analysis as its methodological approach. Qualitative content analysis is a method for the subjective interpretation of textual and visual data through systematic processes of classification, coding, and the development of themes or patterns. While this method allows for interpretive analysis, its scientific rigor is ensured through a structured and transparent coding procedure. Qualitative content analysis moves beyond the surface-level or literal meaning of texts and examines both explicit and implicit themes and patterns embedded within the content.
Method: Following the observation and qualitative analysis of 100 clips published on Persian-language Instagram Viner pages related to fathers, a network of key concepts and categories was identified and organized, and their associated implications were examined. The findings led to the extraction of 10 major categories and 82 direct implications in the representation of fathers across these clips. All identified categories and implications reflected negative, derogatory, and satirical portrayals of fathers’ status and dignity. Categories such as the handy father, unsupportive father, selfish father, materialistic father, reckless father, self-willed father, old-fashioned and traditional father, discriminatory father, unfair father, and bad-tempered father emerged as the dominant representations.
Findings: The findings suggest that the widespread circulation of such representations in cyberspace contributes significantly to the weakening of the father’s role and status within the family, particularly in the minds of adolescents. This study clearly demonstrates the type of image of fatherhood that is constructed and disseminated on Instagram and shows how content creators on this platform contribute to the ridicule and rejection of fathers in the audience’s perception. Although this process may not always be intentional or consciously planned by Viners, the negative impact of such content on audiences remains substantial, regardless of the creators’ intentions. The continuous exposure of the public—especially younger generations—to these portrayals fosters a negative image of the father. Over time, this leads to increased disrespect toward fathers within families and a gradual decline in their social status and dignity.
Conclusion: The father, who historically held a central role in the family, appears to have lost much of this position in contemporary society for these reasons. The combination of such content with media and communicative techniques has made it particularly appealing to audiences. By turning the father into a recurring subject and employing persuasive media strategies such as repetition, exaggeration, amplification of negative experiences, labeling, emphasis on bad temper, fabrication, character assassination, violence, ridicule, and emotional provocation, Viners construct representations of fathers that resonate with everyday experiences. This familiarity facilitates audience identification and encourages the consumption and dissemination of such content. Ultimately, the production and circulation of these representations in the media sphere and within public consciousness constitute one of the main factors contributing to the erosion of the father’s position in the family and the growing distrust toward him.