The (Non)Violent World of YouTube: Content Trends in Web Video

In this content analysis, we examined violence in Web‐based entertainment. YouTube videos (N = 2,520) were collected in 3 different categories: most viewed, top rated, and random, with additional comparisons between amateur and professional content. Frequencies of violent acts and the context of vio...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of communication 2012-12, Vol.62 (6), p.1065-1083
Main Authors: Weaver, Andrew J., Zelenkauskaite, Asta, Samson, Lelia
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Comparative analysis
Content analysis
Entertainment
Information content
Internet
Sociology
Sociology of communication and mass media. Sociolinguistics
Sociology of knowledge and sociology of culture
Television
Video
Videos
Violence
Websites
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Summary:In this content analysis, we examined violence in Web‐based entertainment. YouTube videos (N = 2,520) were collected in 3 different categories: most viewed, top rated, and random, with additional comparisons between amateur and professional content. Frequencies of violent acts and the context of violence (e.g., characteristics of perpetrator and victim, justification, consequences) were compared both between these categories of YouTube videos and with existing research on television violence. The results showed far less violence as a percentage of programming on YouTube than there is on television. Moreover, the violence that was present showed more realistic consequences and more negative context than television violence. Post hoc comparisons illustrated several differences in the presentation of violence between make and category of video.
ISSN:0021-9916
1460-2466
DOI:10.1111/j.1460-2466.2012.01675.x