Personification and amplification of inequality: Mexico City’s gastronomic scene through Instagram foodies

Abstract

The profound inequality that characterizes Mexico City interconnects in this article with the development of food criticism on Instagram. Therefore, this research explores the implications of socioeconomic, urban, and ethnic inequality on the representation of the gastronomic scene in Mexico City by Instagram content creators. Based on content analysis of Instagram food reviews, in-depth interviews with content creators, and spatial analysis, this article proposes that the context of deep inequality inherent to Mexico City and its metropolitan area is clearly and inevitably reflected in the Instagram representation of Mexico City’s culinary offerings. Furthermore, this digital representation is explained through a process of personification and amplification of inequalities. Thus, the attributes, perspectives, and personal experiences of the foodies themselves are integrated into an environment of significant socioeconomic disparities, urban segregation, and ethnic discrimination. This shapes their representation of the culinary landscape in the Mexican capital, as digital dynamics intensify existing inequality.