YouTube and bereavement vlogging: Emotional exchange between strangers

Abstract

Through a qualitative study of YouTube bereavement vlogs and posts by young people about parental death, this article examines the rise and significance of intimate mourning between strangers. An unexpected finding of this research has been the speed with which young people create vlogs or post messages of their bereavement; very often within hours of a death. The question of time in relation to bereavement grief is thus a feature of this article’s analysis. The article argues that YouTube, like other social media, exposes and contests the disenfranchising of grief in offline social settings and relationships while, at the same time, enfranchising disaffected and excluded bereavement discourse via media sociality. It also argues, conversely, that YouTube, like other social media, is now a primary social space (not secondary or supplementary); it provides the where and how and who to connect with regarding personal grief and bereavement.

YouTube, menores y cultura colaborativa. Revisión bibliográfica de la investigación académica".

“…Un estudio sobre blogs de duelo (bereavement vlogging) en YT realizado por Gibson (2016) muestra la facilidad con que los jóvenes crean y comparten mensajes de duelo motivados por la muerte de familiares, amigos o conocidos, muy a menudo a las pocas horas de la muerte, como consecuencia de una vida mediatizada (Deuze, 2011). Snelson (2015) estudió el vlogging en el entorno escolar revelando que los vloggers mostraban y describían sus experiencias escolares por el deseo de aliviar el aburrimiento, por diversión, porque los amigos lo hacían, para proyectar confianza o mejorar sus habilidades para hablar, documentar sus experiencias, compartir información o conectarse con otros.…”

Sharing risk experiences of polydrug use on YouTube

“…interests (Smith et al, 2012;Dehghani et al, 2016). Because expressing personal emotions towards topics considered taboo is one of the main ideas of vlogging (Lee, 2011;Raun, 2015;Gibson, 2016), personal experiences of heavy drug use represent genuine self-presentation at its best. Especially stories concerning sobriety with their very sensitive aspects serve the purpose of public exhibitionism.…”

Lay Pharmacovigilance and the Dramatization of Risk: Fluoroquinolone Harm on YouTube

“…The sample does, however, include at least one vlog from every individual who shared an experience of fluoroquinolone harm on YouTube using the aforementioned described search procedures and criteria. That having been said, it is noted that you do not find YouTube content, but it finds you (Gibson 2016). Despite using various techniques (e.g., clearing cookies and searches histories) to derail YouTube’s Google-powered searches, the sample remains an algorithmic artifact.…”

“…Some of these vlogs, as is the nature of this medium, have been removed from public view, and others will be removed over time. The use of dated searches is one standard for addressing the fluid character of online content (Gibson 2016).…”