Young Audıences, Youtube Culture and Fandom Concept in Turkey

Year 2022, Issue: 91, 109 - 125, 05.10.2022

İpek Kesici

https://doi.org/10.17753/sosekev.1101545

Cited By: 1

Abstract

Today, in order to understand the formation of digital cultures developing with digital technologies and their place in daily life, it is necessary to approach communication technologies from the perspective of the audience and the user. For this reason, in this study, the interest and fandom for YouTubers within the scope of young viewers has been analyzed. The qualitative method was preferred as the research method and in-depth interviews were conducted with a total of 12 people between the ages of 10-14. Among the findings obtained in the study, it was determined that the most prominent concepts in YouTuber fandom were being famous, sincerity, fictional content, childishness and access. It was observed that the participants redefined the specified concepts in accordance with the digital culture. The digital fan culture has created a new culture that feeds on past trends but with its inherent concepts.

Keywords

Audience studies, Fandom concept, YouTube, Vlog culture, Young audiences

TÜRKİYE’DE GENÇ İZLEYİCİLER, YOUTUBE KÜLTÜRÜ VE HAYRAN KAVRAMI

Abstract

Günümüzde dijital teknolojiler ile gelişen dijital kültürlerin oluşumunu ve gündelik hayattaki yerini kavrayabilmek adına iletişim teknolojilerine izleyici ve kullanıcı perspektifinden yaklaşmak gerekir. Bu sebeple bu çalışmada genç izleyiciler kapsamında YouTuber’lara duyulan ilgi ve hayranlık analiz edilmiştir. Araştırma yöntemi olarak niteliksel yöntem tercih edilmiş ve 10-14 yaşları arasında toplamda 12 kişi ile derinlemesine mülakatlar gerçekleştirilmiştir. Çalışmada elde edilen bulgular arasında YouTuber hayranlığında en fazla öne çıkan kavramların ünlü olma, samimiyet, kurgusal içerikler, çocuksuluk ve erişim olduğu saptanmıştır. Katılımcıların, belirtilen kavramları dijital kültüre uygun olarak tekrar tanımladığı gözlemlenmiştir. Dijital hayran kültürü, geçmişteki eğilimlerden beslenen fakat kendisine içkin kavramlarıyla yeni bir kültür oluşturmuştur.

Keywords

İzleyici çalışmaları, Hayranlık kavramı, YouTube, Vlog kültürü, Genç izleyiciler

References

• Abiocca, F. (2016). Opposing Conceptions of the Audience: The Active and Passive Hemispheres of Mass Communication Theory. Annals of the International Comunication Association, 11(1), 51-80. https://doi:10.1080/23808985.1988.11678679
• Booth, P. (2010). Dijital Fandom.Peter Lang.
• Burgess, J., & Green, J. (2009). YouTube: Online Video and Participatory Culture. Cambridge Polity Press.
• Chau, C. (2011). YouTube as a participatory culture. New Directions for Student Leadership, (128), 65-70. https://doi.org/10.1002/yd.376
• Duncum, P. (2011). Youth on YouTube: Prosumers in a peer-to-peer participatory culture. The International Journal of Art Education, 9(2), 24-39.https://ed.arte.gov.tw/uploadfile/periodical/3052_9-2-p.24-39.pdf
• Fiske, J. (1992). The Cultural Economy of Fandom. In L. Lewis (Ed.), Adoring Audience: Fan Culture and Popular Media (ss. 30-50). London Routledge.
• Globalmediainsight (2022, Mart 31). YouTube User Statistics 2022. https://www.globalmediainsight.com/blog/youtube-users-statistics/
• Gorton, K. (2009). Media Audiences, Television, Meaning and Emotion. Edinburgh University Press.
• Hall, S. (2006). Decoding-Encoding. In G. M. Durham, & M. D. Kellner (Eds.), Media and Cultural Studies Keyworks (ss. 164-173). Blackwell Publishing.
• Haridakis, M. P., & Hanson, G. M. (2009). Social Interaction and Co-Viewing With YouTube: Blending Mass Communication Reception and Social Connection. Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 53 (2), 317-335. https://doi.org/10.1080/08838150902908270
• Henn, M., Weinstein, M., & Foard, N. (2009). A Critical Introduction to Social Research. Sage Publications.
• Jenkins, H. (2006). Fans, Bloggers and Gamers: Exploring Participatory Culture. New York University Press.
• Jenkins, H. (1992). Textual Poachers Television Fans & Participatory Culture. Routledge Press.
• Jensen, B. K., & Rosengren, E. K. (1990). Five Traditions in Search of the Audience. European Journal of Communication, 5(2), 207-238. https://doi.org/10.1177/0267323190005002005.
• Kaplan, M. A., & Haenlein, M. (2010). Users of the world, unite! The challenges and opportunities of Social Media. Business Horizons, 53 (1), 59-68. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bushor.2009.09.003.
• Kessel, P. (Aralık, 2019). 10 facts about Americans and YouTube. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/12/04/10-facts-about-americans-and-youtube/
• Lewis, A. L. (1992). The Adoring Audience: Fan Culture and Popular Media. Routledge.
• Livingstone, S. (2003). The Changing Nature of Audiences: From the Mass Audience to the Interactive Media User. [çevrimiçi] London LSE. http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/archive/00000417
• Livingstone, S. (1993). The Rise and Fall of Audience Research: An Old Story With a New Ending. Journal of Communication, 43 (4), 5-12. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1460-2466.1993.tb01298.x
• Macnamara, J. (2010). The 21st Century Media (r)evolution: Emergent Communication Practices. Peter Lang.
• Marvasti, B. A. (2004). Qualitative research in sociology: An introduction. California. Sage Publications.
• Noh, W. N. (2015). YouTube and K Pop fan’s Tribute Activity. The Journal of the Korea Contents Association, 15 (6), 24-32. https://doi.org/10.5392/JKCA.2015.15.06.024
• Postman, N. (2006). Televizyon Öldüren Eğlence İstanbul Ayrıntı Yayınları.
• Raun, T. (2015). Video blogging as a vehicle of transformation: Exploring the intersection between trans identity and information technology. International Journal of Cultural Studies, 18(2), 365-378. https://doi.org/10.1177/1367877913513696
• Rotman, D., & Preece, J. (2010). The ‘WeTube’ in YouTube- creating an online community through video sharing. International Journal of Web, 6 (3), 317-333. https://doi.org/10.1504/IJWBC.2010.033755
• Snelson, C. (2013). Vlogging about school on YouTube: An exploratory study. New Media and Society, 17 (3), 321–339 https://doi.org/10.1177/1461444813504271
• Socialblade (2022, Mayıs 2). Top 100 YouTubers in Turkey Sorted by Subscribers. https://socialblade.com/youtube/top/country/tr/mostsubscribed
• Statista (2022a, Mayıs 2). Number of YouTube users worldwide from 2016 to 2021. https://www.statista.com/statistics/805656/number-youtube-viewers-worldwide/
• Statista (2022b, Mayıs 2). Forecast of the number of Youtube users in Turkey from 2017 to 2025. https://www.statista.com/forecasts/1147115/youtube-users-in-turkey
• Strangelove, M. (2010). Watching YouTube extraordinary videos by ordinary people. Toronto University of Toronto Press.
• Susarla, A., Tan, Y., & Ha-Oh, J. (2012). Social Networks and the Diffusion of User-Generated Content: Evidence from YouTube. Information Systems Research, 1(1), 23-41 https://doi.org/10.2307/23207870