Components of adolescents’ attraction with YouTubers

Abstract

Abstract Data from previous studies show that YouTube and YouTubers have become an integral part of adolescents' lives and have a significant impact on how adolescents view themselves and the world around them. Previous studies suggest that parasocial relationships with YouTubers are likely to have some characteristics that differ from those with traditional celebrities, such as reciprocity or the illusion of intimacy. The question of this study was why YouTubers are so attractive to adolescents and what are the main components of this attractiveness. A sample of 39 adolescents aged 11 to 20 who were fans of at least one YouTuber participated in focus groups in which we collected data on participants' perceptions of their favourite YouTuber and their YouTuber-related behaviours, expectations, beliefs, and social context. The grounded theory approach was used. The analysis yielded core category "identification" which is a powerful mechanism in adolescent psychology. The core category was supported by four general categories: (1) personal characteristics of YouTubers, (2) characteristics of the relationships between YouTubers and their followers, (3) characteristics related to followers' social context, and (4) characteristics related to the medium itself (e. g. accessibility). Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.