YouTubers' social functions and their influence on pre-adolescence

Aran-Ramspott, Sue, Fedele, Maddalena and Tarragó, Anna YouTubers' social functions and their influence on pre-adolescence. Comunicar, 2018, vol. 26, n. 57, pp. 71-80. [Journal article (Paginated)]

[thumbnail of In English]
Preview
Text (In English)
c5707en.pdf - Published version
Available under License Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial Share Alike.

Download (575kB) | Preview
[thumbnail of En español]
Preview
Text (En español)
c5707es.pdf

Download (486kB) | Preview

English abstract

This study focuses on the relationship between preadolescents and youtubers, with the objective of observing how tweens integrate youtubers as referents of a teen digital culture. From a socio-psychological and communicological perspective, a mixed methodological design was applied to carry out the audience study, which was divided into two parts: a quantitative analysis of the audience via a survey administered to 1,406 eleven-twelve year old students of Catalan Secondary Schools, and a qualitative analysis of the preadolescence audience using three focus groups. The quantitative data was analysed with SPSS and the qualitative data with the help of the Atlas.ti software. The results demonstrate that tweens consider youtubers as referents for entertainment and for closeness to a teen digital culture, but not really as a role models or bearers of values as influencers. Also, preadolescents show some dimensions of Media Literacy, since they recognise youtubers’ commercial strategies and their role as actors and professionals. The study notes gender bias in some aspects, and is an introduction to observation of the social functions of youtubers amongst teenagers, individuals who are in the process of constructing their identity and on the point of becoming young adults.

Spanish abstract

El presente estudio se centra en la relación entre preadolescentes y youtubers, con el objetivo de observar cómo los primeros integran a los youtubers como referentes de una cultura digital juvenil. Desde una perspectiva sociopsicológica y comunicativa, se aplicó un diseño metodológico mixto para llevar a cabo el estudio de audiencia, organizado en dos partes: un análisis cuantitativo de la audiencia a través de un cuestionario administrado a 1.406 estudiantes de once-doce años de institutos en Cataluña, y un análisis cualitativo de la audiencia preadolescente a partir de tres «focus group». Los datos cuantitativos se analizaron con SPSS y los cualitativos con la ayuda del programa Atlas.ti. Los resultados demuestran que los preadolescentes consideran a los youtubers como referentes para el entretenimiento y por su proximidad a una cultura digital juvenil, pero no realmente como modelos o portadores de valores en tanto que «influencers». Además, los preadolescentes muestran alguna dimensión de Alfabetización Mediática, al identificar las estrategias comerciales de los youtubers y sus roles profesionales. El estudio da cuenta de un sesgo de género en algunos aspectos, y resulta una introducción a la observación sobre las funciones sociales de los youtubers entre los adolescentes, personas que están en pleno proceso de construcción de sus identidades y a punto de convertirse en jóvenes adultos.

Item type: Journal article (Paginated)
Keywords: Teens; adolescent; YouTube; youtubers; youth identity; values; social media; digital culture; Preadolescentes; adolescente; YouTube; youtubers; identidad juvenil; valores; medios de comunicación social; cultura digital
Subjects: B. Information use and sociology of information > BJ. Communication
G. Industry, profession and education.
G. Industry, profession and education. > GH. Education.
Depositing user: Alex Ruiz
Date deposited: 25 Mar 2019 19:21
Last modified: 25 Mar 2019 19:21
URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10760/33830

References

Ahn, J. (2011). The effect of social network sites on adolescents´ social and academic development: current theories and controversies. Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, 62(8), 1435-1445. https://doi.org/10.1002/asi.21540<br>Aranda, D., Roca, M., & Sánchez-Navarro, J. (2013). Televisión e Internet. El significado de uso de la red en el consumo audiovisual de los adolescentes. Quaderns del CAC, 39(XVI), 15-23. https://bit.ly/2si7mTQ<br>Arnett, J.J., Larson, R., & Offer, D. (1995). Beyond effects: adolescents as active media users. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 24, 511-518. https://bit.ly/2KWwebl<br>Bernete, F. (2009). Usos de las TIC, relaciones sociales y cambios en la socialización de los jóvenes. Revista de estudios de juventud, 88, 97-114. https://bit.ly/2kwxkzo<br>Berzosa, M. (2017). Youtubers y otras especies. Barcelona: Ariel-Fundación Telefónica.<br>Biressi, A., & Nunn, H. (2005). Reality TV. Realism and revelation. London: Wallflower Press.<br>Blomfield, C.J., & Barber, B.L. (2014). Social networking site use: Linked to adolescents’ social self-concept, self-esteem, and depressed mood. Australian Journal of Psychology, 66, 56-64. https://doi.org/10.1111/ajpy.12034<br>Bonaga, C., & Turiel, H. (2016). Mamá, ¡quiero ser youtuber!. Barcelona: Planeta.<br>Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77-101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa<br>Buckingham, D. (1987). Public secrets: Eastenders and its audience. London: BFI.<br>Calhoun, C.J. (Ed.) (2010). Robert K. Merton: Sociology of science and sociology as science. New York: Columbia UP. <br>Cocker, H., & Cronin, J. (2017). Charismatic authority and the youtuber. Unpacking the new cults of personality. Marketing Theory, 17(4), 455-472. https://doi.org/10.1177/1470593117692022<br>Creswell, J.W. (2014). Research design. Qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods approaches (4th. ed.). Thousands Oaks, CA: Sage. <br>Creswell, J.W., & Plano-Clark, V.L. (2007). Designing and conducting mixed methods research. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.<br>Davis, G., & Dickinson, K. (Eds.) (2004). Teen TV: Genre, consumption, identity. London: BFI.<br>Ekström, K.M., & Tufte, B. (Eds.) (2007). Children, media and consumption. On the front edge. Göteborg: Göteborg University.<br>Fedele, M. (2011). El consum adolescent de la ficció seriada televisiva. Barcelona: UAB, Tesis Doctoral. https://goo.gl/mswUJC<br>Ferrés, J., & Piscitelli, A. (2012). Media competence. Articulated proposal of dimensions and indicators. [La competencia mediática: Propuesta articulada de dimensiones e indicadores]. Comunicar, 38(XIX), 75-82. https://doi.org/10.3916/C38-2012-02-08<br>García-Muñoz, N., & Fedele, M. (2011). Television fiction series targeted at young audience: Plots and conflicts portrayed in a teen series. [Las series televisivas juveniles: tramas y conflictos en una «teen series»]. Comunicar, 37, 133-140. https://doi.org/10.3916/C37-2011-03-05<br>Gómez-Pereda, N. (2014). Youtubers. Fenómeno de la comunicación y vehículo de transmisión cultural para la construcción de identidad adolescente. Universidad de Cantabria. https://bit.ly/2L0Amaa<br>Hoffner, C., & Buchanan, M. (2005). Young adults’ wishful identification with television characters: The role of perceived similarity and character attributes. Media Psychology, 7, 325-351. https://bit.ly/2sdcuta<br>Igartúa, J.J., & Rodriguez-de-Dios, I. (2016). Correlatos motivacionales del uso y la satisfacción con Facebook en jóvenes españoles. Cuadernos.info, 38, 107-119. https://doi:10.7764/cdi.38.848<br>Igartúa-Perosanz, J.J., & Muñiz-Muriel, C. (2008). Identification with the characters and enjoyment with features films. An empirical research. Communication & Society 21(1), 25-52. https://bit.ly/2LAkgVP<br>Jenkins, H. (2006). Convergence Culture. New York: New York University Press.<br>Jerslev, A. (2016). In the time of the microcelebrity: Celebrification and the youtuber Zoella. International Journal of Communication, 10, 5233-5251. https://bit.ly/2shZq4T<br>Larocca, G., & Fedele, M. (2017). Television clothing commercials for tweens in transition: A comparative analysis in Italy and Spain. In E. Mora & M. Pedroni (Eds.), Fashion tales: Feeding the imaginary (pp. 407- 424). Peter Lang.<br>Lenhart, A., Smith, A., Anderson, M., Duggan, M., & Perrin, A. (2015). Teens, technology and friendships. Pew Research Center. https://bit.ly/2L0Hxzd<br>Linn, A. (2005). Consuming kids: The hostile takeover of childhood. New York: First Anchor Books.<br>Livingstone, S. (1988). Why people watch soap opera: An analysis of the explanations of British viewers. European Journal of Communication, 3, 55-80. https://doi:10.1177/0267323188003001004<br>Lovelock, M. (2017). ‘Is every youtuber going to make a coming out video eventually?’: YouTube celebrity video bloggers and lesbian and gay identity, Celebrity Studies, 8(1), 87-103. https://doi:10.1080/19392397.2016.1214608<br>Massonnier, V. (2008). Tendencias de mercado. Están pasando cosas. Buenos Aires: Granica.<br>Medrano-Samaniego, C., Cortés, P.A., Aierbe, A., & Orejudo, S. (2010). TV programmes and characteristics of preferred characters in television viewing: A study of developmental and gender differences. Cultura y Educación, 22(1), 3-20. https://doi:10.5944/educXX1.13951<br>Michikyan, M., & Suárez-Orozco, C. (2016). Adolescent media and social media use: implications for development. Journal of Adolescent Research, 31(4), 411-414. https://doi:10.1177/0743558416643801<br>Montes-Vozmediano, M., Garcia-Jiménez, A., & Menor-Sendra, J. (2018). Teen videos on YouTube: Features and digital vulnerabilities. [Los vídeos de los adolescentes en YouTube: Características y vulnerabilidades digitales]. Comunicar, 54(XXVI), 61-69. https://doi.org/10.3916/C54-2018-06<br>Oberst, U., Chamarro, A., & Renau, V. (2016). Gender stereotypes 2.0: Self-representations of adolescents on Facebook. [Estereotipos de género 2.0: Auto-representaciones de adolescentes en Facebook]. Comunicar, 48(XXIV), 81-90. https://doi.org/10.3916/C48-2016-08<br>Oliva, M. (2014). Celebrity, class and gender in Spain: an analysis of Belén Esteban's image. Celebrity Studies, 5(4), 438-454. https://doi.org/10.1080/19392397.2014.920238<br>Pérez-Torres, V., Pastor-Ruiz, Y., & Abarrou-Ben-Boubaker, S. (2018). Youtuber videos and the construction of adolescent identity. [Los youtubers y la construcción de la identidad adolescente]. Comunicar, 55, 61-70. https://doi.org/10.3916/C55-2018-06<br>Rivière, M. (2009). La fama. Iconos de la religión mediática. Barcelona: Noema.<br>Ross, S.M., & Stein, L.E. (Eds.) (2008). Teen television: Essays on programming and fandom. Jefferson, NC: McFarland.<br>Senft, T.M. (2012). Microcelebrity and the branded self. In J. Hartley, J. Burgess, J., & A. Bruns (Eds.), A companion to new media dynamics (pp. 346-354). Oxford: Wiley Blackwell.<br>Smith, D. (2017). The tragedy of self in digitised popular culture: The existential consequences of digital fame on YouTube. Qualitative research, Special issue: Qualitative methods and data in digital societies, 1-16. https://doi.org/10.1177/1468794117700709<br>Smith, D.R. (2016). Imagining others more complexly: Celebrity and the ideology of fame among YouTube’s ‘Nerdfighteria’, Celebrity Studies, 7(3), 339-353, https://doi.org/10.1080/19392397.2015.1132174<br>Socialblade (2016). Top youtuber channels from Spain. https://bit.ly/2ISEngv<br>Strauss, W., & Howe, N. (2000). Millennials rising: The next great generation. New York, NY: Vintage Original. <br>Westenberg, W. (2016). The influence of youtubers on teenagers. Master Thesis. University of Twente.<br>


Downloads

Downloads per month over past year

Actions (login required)

View Item View Item