The YouTube Effect on Adolescence: Exploring the Influences of Youtubers on Adolescents’ Identity Construction

Abstract

This qualitative research study investigated the influence of YouTubers on adolescents’ identity construction by exploring interactions between YouTubers and adolescents. Towards this goal, this study intended to examine YouTubers’ role in adolescents’ lives in terms of mindset and daily practices. In this interpretative phenomenological study, the analyses of the data collected from 10 adolescents through semi-structured interviews revealed that YouTubers guided adolescents to become integrated into the society by noticing the similar aspects of their identities such as feelings, thoughts, and beliefs. Furthermore, YouTubers have been found to assist adolescents to discover their individuality through their videos and comments of other viewers on these videos. Also, it has been observed that the exploration option and range of social interactions extended thanks to the YouTubers. However, adolescents sometimes overly identified themselves with the YouTubers, imitated them and implemented the YouTubers’ recommendations without questioning.

Keywords

• Adolescence
• identity formation
• youtubers

Ergenlikte YouTube Etkisi: Ergenlerin Kimlik İnşasında YouTuberların Etkisini Keşfetmek

Abstract

Bu çalışmanın amacı ergenlerin kimlik inşasında YouTuberların etkisini araştırmak ve bu süreçte aralarında ne tür etkileşimler olduğunu keşfetmektir. Bu bağlamda, YouTuberların ergenlerin hayatındaki rolü, onların düşünce ve günlük pratiklerine etkilerini incelemektedir. Bu nitel çalışmada, ergenlerin kimlik deneyimleri hakkında derinlemesine bilgi toplamak için çoğunluğu İstanbul’da yaşayan 10 ergenle görüşme yapılarak veri toplanmıştır. Veriler, yorumlayıcı fenomenolojik analiz metodu kullanılarak analiz edilmiştir. Çalışmanın sonuçları YouTuberların ergenlere kimliklerinin duygu, düşünce ve inançlar gibi benzeşen yönlerini fark ettirerek topluma entegre olmalarına katkı sağladıklarını göstermiştir. Bunun yanı sıra, YouTuberlar hem kendi çektikleri videolar hem de bu videolara başkalarının yaptığı yorumlar aracılığıyla, ergenlerin bireyselliklerini fark etmelerinde yardımcı olmaktadırlar. Ayrıca, YouTuberlar sayesinde seçeneklerin araştırması imkanın ve sosyal etkileşim alanının oldukça genişlediği görülmüştür. Yine de, ergenlerin zaman zaman Youtuberlarla fazla özdeşim kurdukları, onlara özendikleri ve onların önerilerini sorgulamadan uyguladıkları ortaya çıkmıştır. Bu bağlamda, ergenlerin ne derece etkilendiklerine dair farkındalıklarının düşük olduğu ve yeni medya okuryazarlığı becerilerinin yetersiz olduğu gözlemlenmiştir. Sonuç olarak, ebeveynler, danışmanlar ve yetkililer için de uygulamaya dönük çıkarımlar tartışılmıştır.

Keywords

• Ergenlik dönemi
• kimlik inşası
• youtubers

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