THE INSTAGRAM INTERFACE AS A MEANS OF REPRESENTING ENGLISH-LANGUAGE VISUAL MEDIA NARRATIVES

Abstract

a complex multimodal environment that transforms traditional methods of representing English-language visual media narratives. The study focuses on how visual and compositional solutions, typography, and technological parameters of the interface determine the user's navigation, affect cognitive load, and form specific modes of interaction with content. It is argued that the Instagram interface serves as a tool for semiotic marking of narrative, facilitating the integration of verbal, visual, and interactive components within a single communicative space. The theoretical basis of the study is formed by research by leading experts in the field of multimodal analysis and digital semiotics. Particular attention is paid to M. Halliday's theory of communication registers, adapted by O. Babelyuk and Y. Zaza for the analysis of tenor as a multimodal characteristic of an Instagram profile. The study found that an INSTAGRAM profile appears as a discursive-textual macro-sign characterised by structural and semiotic integrity. Based on the analysis of five popular English-language psychological profiles, it was found that the multimodal architecture of the platform contributes to the semiotic synergy of verbal and visual signs. It has been proven that the nine-grid layout is a universal tool for consistently representing material, creating an attractive narrative structure. Pinned stories play a special role in the structure of profiles, functioning as cognitive anchors that ensure the hierarchization of information and the legitimization of knowledge. The study shows that the INSTAGRAM interface is a complex multimodal environment where the organisation of the tenor parameter determines the effectiveness of narrative representation. The emotional and psychological tenor, combined with the expert dimension, allows for the modelling of social closeness and trust, while reinforcing the author's professional authority. The Instagram profile, as a holistic media narrative, aims to provide psychological support and facilitate self-reflection in the recipient, thereby forming new models of knowledge popularization in the digital age.