Abstract
For micro-celebrities such as popular Youtubers, social media platforms can be used to grow an audience. However, sharing one’s life on the internet requires careful balancing of private and public information. As much as authenticity is needed to build a loyal fanbase, Youtubers can find their privacy being infringed when fans come to believe that they can expect the same level of connection with their celebrity idol as they would a friend they know personally. This paper looks at how these expectations of intimacy develop, and the strong emotional connections that can form through online social networks.
- Introduction
The advent of social media platforms has allowed fandoms greater access to their idols, and to each other. Whilst this has helped fandoms to grow more quickly, and has allowed celebrities greater opportunity to connect with their fans, it also raises important questions of privacy and self-disclosure. Whilst celebrity-fan relationships existed long before the internet, the rise of participatory internet culture and social networking sites such as Twitter and YouTube have changed this relationship, and audiences can be seen as wanting more. This is particularly apparent with online based “micro-celebrities” such as YouTubers. For professional YouTubers there is an expectation of authenticity and transparency in their work, as well as an expectation of being constantly accessible across social media platforms. This paper will explore the relationship between popular YouTube personalities and their viewers, and look at the ways that emotional attachments can form though use of social networks.
2. Expectations of Intimacy from Influencers
In December of 2018 popular Youtuber James Charles bought a new house in Los Angeles. As is a common practice for YouTubers, Charles made and uploaded a “house tour” video, where he walked his fans through his new home and pointed out some of its features. Unfortunately, despite the outside of the house not being shown, and the exact area not being disclosed, the images captured proved sufficient for a select few of Charles’ (then) 11 million strong YouTube audience to investigate and ultimately find his address. This lead to an unknown number of fans showing up uninvited to James Charles’s house over a period of several weeks, eventually prompting a public statement from Charles stating in no uncertain terms that he would not interact with anyone who came to the house uninvited, and asking fans to stop coming to the house immediately. What followed was a heated discussion online about the nature of being “internet famous”. Whilst most fans agreed that showing up uninvited was inappropriate, some also took to Twitter to call out Charles as being ungrateful, petty or rude. Several users also condemned the trespassing, but went on to say that these occurrences should be expected by any person who has such a large online audience (DeFranco, 2018).
This expectation of availability is not unique to the James Charles case, nor is the trespassing. In 2017 the address of the “Team Ten House” (home to several YouTubers with large audiences) was leaked on Google maps, resulting in dozens of fans showing up each day. Whilst most mainstream celebrities will also have had experiences of fan’s approaching them at inappropriate times or places, the expectation of being constantly available, and fans being “owed” time and attention is much more evident when looking at those who earned their fame online, and particularly with YouTubers. The YouTube famous can be described as micro-celebrities, that is, a person who is famous within a certain community of people (Raun, 2018). This can be contrasted to the idea of a “mainstream celebrity” which is a title associated more with those who earned their fame through legacy media, such as film or television (Abidin, 2019). With the growing popularity and influence of successful YouTube personalities, one could argue that the differences between a mainstream celebrity and a YouTube celebrity are lessening, however there are still some observable differences in fan expectation. Perhaps the biggest difference between the mainstream celebrity of eras past, and a micro-celebrity within the YouTube community, is the expectation of authenticity and transparency that fans hold for their YouTube idols. In order to build their audience and garner support, micro-celebrities such as Youtubers must connect with their viewers on a personal level, this involves sharing personal or private information about themselves and their lives, and signalling availability by connecting with fans on social media (Raun, 2018). This is all part of maintaining the scarce resource that is attention in the online space. However, for professional YouTubers this creates a tension between sharing enough of their life to maintain and grow an active audience, and maintaining enough privacy that they are still able to separate work from non-work life.
3. Why Do Fans Feel Entitled?
In the case of James Charles there was no small amount of backlash when he clearly stated his boundaries concerning when and where fans should approach him. This sense of entitlement to a celebrity’s time can be seen as a result of the development of parasocial relationships. A parasocial relationship is a one-sided, pseudorelationship that can form between any media persona and a viewer (Brown, 2013). Typically, it consists of a viewer developing a false sense of intimacy, mimicking feelings of friendship, with a celebrity they have never met. For humans, emotional connection is usually essential for the enjoyment of any piece of media (Brown, 2013), and thusly parasocial relationships have arguably existed for a least as long as mass media has. A particularly early example is that of singer and radio personality Kate Smith, who in 1943 raised an incredible $39 million dollars for the war effort during a marathon radio show. Scholars observed that Smith’s listeners responded to her calls for them to buy war bonds as if a friend had asked them (Brown, 2013). Today, social media platforms have exacerbated these types of feelings for fans towards celebrities. Most mainstream celebrities make use of a least one social media platform, and many fans may feel closer to their favourite pop stars or actors by following them on Twitter and receiving glimpses into their day to day activities. However, when looking at Youtubers and vloggers it is important to remember that these types of creators often share details about their lives in the content they make for the platform, that is, sharing is a part of their work. If they are active with engaging with fans on social media on top of this, as most successful creators are, it is even easier to see how a fan’s perception of their accessibility may be altered.
Advances in internet communication technology have also changed the way we communicate in a more general sense. For example, social media allows us to communicate with our loved ones no matter where in the world they are, and for most people the idea of maintaining an intimate relationship though the internet, such as communicating with a family member whilst being separated geographically, would feel quite normal. This is what Leisa Reichelt coined as “Ambient intimacy” that is; “being able to keep in touch with people with a level of regularity and intimacy that you wouldn’t usually have access to, because time and space conspire to make it impossible.” (2007). Apart from allowing a person to keep tabs on people they know and have met, this can also lead to fans viewing their idols as “intimate strangers” whom they may feel a sense of entitlement towards when it comes to knowledge of their lives, or even contact with them, in the same way they would a friend or family member (Duffett, 2013).
The strong emotional connection that popular Youtubers have with their fans has long been observed in the context of their marketing power. However more recently scholars have searched for a reason that YouTube as a platform would foster such a strong connection and one of the potential answers is limbic resonance. Limbic resonance describes the human capacity for empathy and non-verbal communication, and is activated in the brain when we are around other people. Watching content on YouTube, particularly in the straight-to-camera vlogging style, mimics being co-present with another person, in a way that watching an actor on television or a popstar performing does not, and supports the development of a deeper emotional connection (Gahan, 2014). As much as these strong emotional connections may go some way to explaining extreme fan behaviour such as the trespassing experienced by James Charles, it is worth noting that these undesirable behaviours are exhibited by a relatively small percentage of a very large fan base. This phenomenon arguably occurs not just because of the emotional connections that contact through social media foster, but also because of the ease of spreading information , communicating and collaborating though social media networks. Whilst fandoms were still organised and active in the pre-internet days, social media sites have allowed fans to connect with each other, share information and bond over shared interests on a scale and at a speed not seen previously. Utilising these networks is what allowed fans to collectively find James Charles’ address, which ultimately lead to online fan behaviour manifesting in the physical world.
4. Emotional Connection in Fandoms
Being a part of an online fandom is a positive and social experience for many people. Identifying with a fandom can allow people to make friends through a shared interest and also provide a positive feeling of self-definition (Brown, 2015). Fans in the online age have even more opportunities to be social, Brown explains; “Audience involvement is not merely a lone psychological enterprise; it involves interaction with others, including discussing favourite personae, reading their tweets, sending them text messages, watching them through media with friends, and personally attending their events with others” (2015). In the context of YouTube, being a part of a fan community can provide people with a sense of belonging, which is particularly important to young viewers. YouTubers often give a name to their followers which increases this feeling of belonging in much the same way as a team or club, which can also be seen as an extension of self-branding. To revisit the example of James Charles, fans of Charles are called “sisters” and can purchase “sister” merchandise to display their affiliation with the fandom in their daily life. Another common feature of large and active internet fandoms is the fans identifying with the celebrity through a shared sense of being different, or an outsider. As a young male in the beauty scene James Charles is in the minority, and he encourages his young viewers to express themselves and be true to themselves regardless of public opinion. Influencer marketing expert Brittany Hennessy explains; “The popularity of non-traditional social media stars like James Charles is great because it really gives their audience a chance to just feel like they can express themselves and they don’t have to conform to a specific box,” (in Hawkins, 2019). In a similar way fans of Lady Gaga have expressed the positive benefits they get out of participating in her fandom online. Lady Gaga’s fans (named “Little Monsters”) helped her become the most followed person on Twitter for several years. When interviewed, fans expressed that identifying as a Little Monster helped them to embrace all parts of themselves, even aspects of their personality that might be considered “weird” and participating in the fandom helped them feel that they could truly be themselves. In this way fans identifying with a celebrity and participating in a fandom can help them to feel empowered and included, even if they otherwise feel excluded from mainstream society (Click, Lee & Holladay, 2013). This emotional connection is a powerful driving force in creating a large and loyal fanbase.
5. Conclusion
In conclusion, online fanbases have several unique features which set them apart from pre-Web 2.0 notions of fandoms and fan behaviours. The relationships between fans and their celebrity idols, particularly online micro-celebrities, have changed in response to the increased level of accessibility, or appearance thereof, provided by a large social media presence. With YouTubers, the inherent expectation of transparency and authenticity of content uploaded to the platform exacerbates the audience’s expectation of access to the Youtuber’s private life. Furthermore, the formation of parasocial relationships between the viewer and the YouTube persona can result in an erroneous belief that the persona is a friend rather than a stranger, and can lead to the fan treating them as such. Taking part in a fandom and identifying with a star online is a positive experience for many people, and the increased social tools provided by the internet aid the speed of growth of fan communities. However, as much as it is now easier than ever before to grow a following quickly, it is also more important than ever for online micro-celebrities to carefully balance their privacy and their public persona.
References:
Abidin, C. (2019). What is an internet celebrity anyway?. In C. Abidin, Internet Celebrity: Understanding Fame Online (1st ed., pp. 1-18). Bingley, UK: Emerald Publishing.
Brown, W. (2015). Examining Four Processes of Audience Involvement With Media Personae: Transportation, Parasocial Interaction, Identification, and Worship. Communication Theory, 25(3), 259-283. doi: 10.1111/comt.12053
Click, M., Lee, H., & Holladay, H. (2013). Making Monsters: Lady Gaga, Fan Identification, and Social Media. Popular Music And Society, 36(3), 360-379. doi: 10.1080/03007766.2013.798546
DeFranco, P. (2018). The James Charles Privacy Problem Is Actually Much Bigger [Video]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9eCGmC5dRi4
Duffett, M. (2013). Understanding fandom (p. Chapter 9). New York: Bloomsbury Academic.
Gahan, B. (2014). Brendan Gahan – Limbic Resonance – The Science Behind The Success of YouTubers. Retrieved from https://brendangahan.com/limbic-resonance-science-behind-success-youtubers/
Hawkins, S. (2019). Make-up artist, influencer James Charles opens up about beauty career and bullies. Retrieved from https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/make-artist-influencer-james-charles-opens-beauty-career/story?id=61924967
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Hello CSligh,
This is a compelling paper relating to various issues between YouTuber and their fans. As an avid viewer of various YouTubers, I can relate to some of the themes and ideas you have brought up. Regarding intimacy, I have heard various other examples of fans turning up to their favourite YouTuber’s houses. The reasoning behind this in my opinion, is maybe because they (the YouTube personality) can be seen as more accessible and approachable to the them, as they are generally not secluded away from everyday life, as say mainstream celebrities like those Hollywood megastars. For example, one YouTuber I watch called JaackMaate (Jack Dean) once had an eleven-year girl turn up at his house at night after her and her parents had made a long trip to reach his place. This, along with your James Charles example, and other examples like Zoella could represent a blurred line between YouTuber privacy and fan interaction that needs to be addressed to ensure the privacy of YouTube personalities is respected. I will discuss other ideas in another comment later.
Hi Stephen,
Yes I do agree that one of the main differences between a Youtuber and say, a famous actor or presenter, is the relatability factor. They are perceived as more like “one of the masses” which I think also goes some way to explain the reaction on Twitter to James Charles saying not to show up at his house; some people went so far as to call this ungrateful. The parents in these situations, driving their kids to strangers houses, are even more baffling! I watch a lot of Youtube too and I’m always interested in how influencers manage themselves and balance the private and the public. I’ve enjoyed reading a lot of Crystal Abidin’s work on the subject of influencers, her paper “Privacy For Profit” was one that got me interested in this area on research.
Hi CSligh,
Another point tying into all this regards the emotional connection fans have for YouTubers like Charles. This can be evident by recent events like his meet up event at a Birmingham shopping centre, where thousands turned up, leading to city being halted. Although his appearance was brief, some of his fans are so immersed and dedicated to him, they would just about anything to even see him for a fleeting moment.
Birmingham article:
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/jan/27/birmingham-brought-to-standstill-after-visit-from-youtuber-james-charles
Yes I read all about that when it happened! I found it fascinating, it was also particularly interesting to see the mainstream media’s reporting of the situation, as most news presenters didn’t know who he was and found the whole situation baffling. I make a point in my paper about the difference between a “mainstream celebrity” and an “internet famous” person becoming blurred in a lot of ways, and it’s this type of thing that supports that hypothesis, I feel.
Mainstream media especially in the UK, I find look down on YouTubers and general internet celebrities. One of the reasons for this may be due to the notion you have pointed out stating how YouTubers are famous to a specific group of individuals, while mainstream celebrities are known to the apparent mass audiences of TV and film. Since these YouTube stars are generally not well-known in their enclosed mainstream media circles, they would not understand their source of fame which may lead to their condescending attitudes and questions to their stardom.
Hi CSligh.
Your paper was an engaging read as you have elaborated the connection between YouTube personalities and their audiences very well. I find the way you stated and defined concepts which justified the very intense and yet, one-sided friendship/relationship that fervent followers feel towards their favourite YouTubers.
Your take on the topic of ‘parasocial relationship’ within the context of James Charles and his fans breaking into his house was very interesting and apt. I like how you explained their sense of entitlement through this psychological belief.
I, myself, am an avid consumer of YouTube content and I have come across James Charles. He has been one of the fastest growing channels ever since he started which is in 2016 and amassed over 16 million subscribers within three years. However, three days ago, his friend Tati who is also a famous YouTuber posted a video about him. Since then, James Charles has lost over 3 million subscribers and is collecting hate comments on his latest video and Instagram picture by the minute. On the other hand, Tati’s subscriber count has risen over 3 million during the past days and the video she posted currently shows over 33 million views.
As you stated, the parasocial relationship and ambient intimacy between a fan and celebrity is often very strong. According to you, why do you think that James Charles’ fans are unsubscribing from him in such large numbers specially after being fervent followers over the years? Tati revealed many things about Charles’ behaviour in an offline context. Why is it that his ‘sisters’ are now shunning him after knowing his authentic self despite craving to know him intimately and all the details about him?
Feel free to check out my paper here:
https://networkconference.netstudies.org/2019Curtin/2019/05/06/social-media-and-its-negative-impact-on-the-female-identity/
Hi HJulha,
Yes I have been watching the situation unfold with interest. I think context is important to consider here, the amount and speed at which James Charles lost subscribers following this controversy was unprecedented, bigger even than what Logan Paul experienced when he filmed a dead body in Japan’s “suicide forest” and uploaded it in a vlog. On the face of it this seems ridiculous but I think there’s a couple of important differences, one of which is genre. The beauty genre on youtube is constantly rocked by “scandals”. Beauty guru youtubers frequently collaborate together, appear as friends and then as enemies and move from love to hate relationships quickly. It’s like a soap opera, creators like James Charles, Jeffree Star, Manny MUA, Kat Von D are like characters, taking turns to be in the limelight, to be loved or hated by fans and each other. Because fans of Charles are more likely to also be fans (or at least know about) Tati, her message reached a lot of his fans and consequently a huge audience overall. So this would have contributed. Also fans of Youtubers may consider their idols like friends but these are ultimately weak ties, that can turn very quickly. Lastly I think it’s because of “cancel culture” on the internet. Because influencers are perceived as more relatable and more like “everyday people”, I believe they can also inspire jealousy, even from fans who enjoy their content. This jealousy can feed into a feeling of schadenfreude when the influencer loses face in public, which in turn leads to the vindictive desire to “cancel” them, that is, to declare that they are officially over on the internet.
Ultimately I don’t think that this is the end for James Charles, he will probably get a redemption storyline in the saga that is the Youtube beauty scene, and soon it will be someone else’s turn to be the villain. What do you think?
I personally “cancel culture” is just something that gets thrown around for the memes, jokes etc. If Logan Paul can get away with what he did in Japan, to go along with the dodgy incidents his younger brother has been involved in, James Charles will be back soon despite the brutal nature of the beauty community. Based on the some recent videos I’ve watched relating to his scandal, Jeffree Star has probably done worse things than Charles and yet was almost portrayed a “hero” in this incident. This is despite old tweets of Jeffree Star popping up regarding the same things Charles has been accused of.
Here is one video outlining this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYeFm2KFSRQ
Hi Stephan,
It seems we’re in agreement then! I also think that James will recover from this incident, as it seems to be the way of things in the beauty community especially. The scandal has provided an interesting foil to the points I made in my paper, I explored how fans can form ties to their mirco-celebrity idols, this incedent appears to show those ties being broken, however I would hazard a guess that those very dedicated fans who do maintain a one-sided parasocial relationship with James would not be among those unsubscribing now. It would certainly make for an interesting case study though!
I think they can get broken and sewed back together, to some extent. Logan Paul, I recall did not lose anywhere as many subscribers as what Charles has recently lost despite the unforgivable nature of his act. This may due to his perceived (though generally hard to prove) younger and impressionable audience of whom are devoted to him, and not being part of such a cutthroat community like the beauty one. I do also believe his career revival was helped by British YouTuber KSI boxing him, yes I know it sounds crazy! The boxing match in August last year did end in a draw, but the build-up, fight and aftermath seemed to take all the attention away from that incident in Japan. Although he was seen as the villain in this dual, he gained a great a deal of respect for taking up the fight, as most wouldn’t.
With Charles, it looks he also has a set of devoted fans who have stuck with him in spite of the massive subscriber loss. A case study figuring out why viewers stick or twist with a YouTuber during scandals like this would indeed be compelling!
this is a great topic to discuss, Micro-celebrities on YouTube and their fans is something new in society but needs to be addressed. There is an ongoing problem of people feeling as though they can relate to Internet famous individuals and they now have an expectation of availability, as you discussed with James Charles experience with his “sisters”, which was a great example for the topic.
Hi Shannon,
Thank you for your feedback on my paper. Yes the expectations on the internet famous do seem to be different, and it’s the celebrities who engage with their fans the most, doing meet and greets and engaging online, who seem to have the most dedicated but also the most demanding fans. It’s a kind of catch-22 for influencers because sharing their lives and personal details has been proven necessary for success, however the more they give the more the fans expect. It begs the question would you rather be famous or have your privacy?
With the emergence of recent accusations against James Charles online, would you say this has flourished as there was an expectation to share his entire life online and now his fans and ‘sisters’ are feeling betrayed as they thought they knew everything about him and who James was as an ethical person?
I hadn’t thought about it that way honestly! I think certainly his young fans may have felt disappointed in him, and that they were mislead with his self-representation. But it’s important to remember, as many people as have unsubscribed from James, many more have stayed and he still has a very loyal fanbase. I think this speaks to the phenomenon I describe in my paper, and goes to show the intense bonds that can form, even if they are one-sided, though Youtube and social media.
Hi CSligh,
I really enjoyed reading your paper, it was extremely interesting, engaging and well written! I especially admire your discussion of “intimate strangers,” “limbic resonance,” parasocial relationships, and your comment of attention being a scarce resource in the online space!
In regards to the sense of entitlement subscribers feel towards YouTubers, do you think another possible explanation for this is that subscribers recognise their significant role in turning an individual into a micro-celebrity? For example, subscribers often express the attitude that without them, James Charles would not have been where he is today (or is it more appropriate to say four days ago?) as their subscription to his channel and their constant engagement has promoted him to a higher status? Ultimately, does this make subscribers feel as though they deserve constant access to a YouTuber’s life?
Looking forward to your reply, and well done again on a great paper!
Thank you,
Devyn 🙂
Hi Devyn,
Thank you for your feedback and kind words about my paper! You raise a really good point; do fans feel entitled to an influencer’s attention because they feel they had a hand in their success? This is definitely something I have observed, but as yet it has not been written about in the academic space, so I couldn’t really reference this phenomenon in my paper. There’s a now famous clip taken outside the Team 10 (that was Jake Paul and friends, if you’re familiar) house when their address was leaked and young fans and their parents showed up uninvited. The clip was taken on a mobile phone and features a particularly obnoxious parent who drove her kid there only to be refused entry, as a member of team 10 is shutting the gate she repeats several times “they {the kids} made you famous! They give you paychecks! Be nice!”. For James Charles’ part he was also called “ungrateful” on Twitter following his addressing the issue, and there were also people commenting that he should be more gracious with his fans as they have helped him to get to where he is. In the end, in my opinion, it’s a mixture of factors, but I think the expectation of reciprocity comes from a) a belief that influencers are just like “normal” people, and b) parasocial relationships leading certain fans to believe that they have a relationship, or play some sort of role in the influencers life. If you give a gift a friend it might not be unreasonable to expect a gift in return at some point. Fans “gift” their attention, and the aforementioned beliefs contribute to some fans expecting the gift of attention in return. If they do not get it it may lead to a feeling that it’s not fair, as their attention was not reciprocated, and I think this is where your point comes in, fans will try to justify their feeling of entitlement by stating that they have contributed to the influencer’s success. In almost all cases whatever affect an individual fan thinks they have on an influencers success would be overstated. I’m glad you found this as interesting as me! Thanks again for your feedback,
Cass
Hi again, Cass
I expect this phenomenon will be central to many scholarly articles published in the coming years – we will have to keep an eye out!
It is amazing how Team 10, even with their scandals and quite inappropriate actions and comments, were still harassed by parents wanting to get a photo of them next to their children! Your example is certainly interesting and is quite shocking, to be honest! In the more recognised working industry, a boss would never demand entry into an employee’s home even though they might be the ones “giving them their paychecks.” It is unfortunate that being a YouTuber isn’t really seen among the masses as a legitimate, respectable job, and thus does not grant these YouTubers much privacy.
I definitely agree that the affect individual fans think they have on an influencer’s success is overstated. After all, these micro-celebrities are putting the effort into creating content and this is definitely not as easy as some would think – putting yourself out there for critique, hate and harassment is very brave, and some would even argue insane. Without their content, these fans would have nothing to support or engage with, so in all, I believe it is both the fan and the creator who determines one’s success; thus, these fans need to realise they are not the sole reason these micro-celebrities emerge and are successful. Do you agree?
Hi Devyn,
Yes I very much agree with your comments, I believe the trick of content creation on Youtube is making it seem easy and effortless, when in fact those who are successful put a huge amount of time and effort into their content, often for years before getting recognised in a substantial way. Also, these super-fans might do well to remember that they are watching the Youtuber’s content for free, it’s not the same as being a paying customer in a restaurant or shop, where you may rightfully expect a certain level of service or attention. And it’s definitely, as you point out, not the same being a boss with an employee. I think it comes back to what I mentioned about influencers being relatable. Young fans in particular may relate to an influencer a bit too much, then be shocked when they do not behave in exactly the way they expect.
Thanks again for your thought-provoking comments!
Hi Devyn,
Yes I very much agree with your comments, I believe the trick of content creation on Youtube is making it seem easy and effortless, when in fact those who are successful put a huge amount of time and effort into their content, often for years before getting recognised in a substantial way. Also, these super-fans might do well to remember that they are watching the Youtuber’s content for free, it’s not the same as being a paying customer in a restaurant or shop, where you may rightfully expect a certain level of service or attention. And it’s definitely, as you point out, not the same being a boss with an employee. I think it comes back to what I mentioned about influencers being relatable. Young fans in particular may relate to an influencer a bit too much, then be shocked when they do not behave in exactly the way they expect.
Thanks again for your thought-provoking comments!
Hi Csligh,
i read your conference paper and i must say i found it really enriching.I agree with your arguments that micro-celebrities such as famous Youtubers uses social media platforms to have a voice and to have an influence over their audience and also generate more and more audience. But don’t you think that at the end of the day it’s the influencers who still have power over them? for examples James Charles who lost nearly 3 Million of subscribers because of the incident that occurred with Tati Westbrook
Feel free to read my conference paper which touches the aspect of micro -celebrity
https://networkconference.netstudies.org/2019Curtin/2019/05/06/social-media-influencers-post-semi-naked-selfies-to-get-more-likes-introducing-the-practice-of-micro-celebrity-trend/
Hi there,
Thank you for your feedback, I understood your question to be; do I think that ultimately the influencer has power over the audience? Let me know if I have misinterpreted you, but I think they definitely have selection of detail through the editing process, and they can tell their audience anything and claim it’s the “truth”. However with James Charles we also saw his audience gaining information that he never shared, like finding the address of his house by working together to piece together tiny clues. In this case the audience was more powerful, as there is almost no limit to what can be accomplished when so many people work together towards a common goal. On the other hand the marketing power of influencers is well documented, and in this sense the influence they have over their audience is very pronounced.
Hi CSligh!
Thank you for writing such a delightful paper, I really enjoyed reading your work. I have gained a deeper insights on the connections that YouTube content creator and their fans have. I think I can agree to your statement that YouTube differs to other social media platforms as the content that are made usually feel very curated and personal, often these “celebrities” talk about their personal lives and their day to day activities to the point where their fans start feeling like they know the people that they see online personally.
Within the latest affair that James Charles had with another YouTuber, Charles has lost many subscribers to the scandal. Do you think the trust in the relationship that has been built between the Youtuber and their fans are easily damaged? Would you say that because these relationships were built online, so it is more vulnerable compared the offline relationships?
I have also written a paper on LinkedI usefulness in building online network and the recruitment industry, feel free to read my paper 🙂
https://networkconference.netstudies.org/2019Curtin/2019/05/06/how-linkedin-has-developed-an-online-community-that-helps-people-to-grow-their-networks-and-transforms-the-recruiting-industry/
Thanks.
Hi there,
Thank you for your thought-provoking comments! Based on my research the bonds that are formed through online communities can feel just as strong and just as meaningful to fans as in-person relationships, particularly if the fan is young and/or socially isolated in their everyday life. I think when a scandal such as this hits a Youtuber we are bound to see a) Other content creators using the sudden attention to their advantage by commenting or even inserting themselves into the fray and b) a lot of casual fans jumping ship, which, in an audience of several million, is bound to be quite a few people. The fans of the ilk that I describe in my paper, those that do have parasocial relationships with James and do identify with him strongly, would probably be among those several million who still stand by him and support him currently. After all, many more fans “stayed” than “left” the sisterhood. Feel free to let me know if you disagree! Thanks again for your thoughts,
Cass
Hi there!
You’ve written a really great paper! And how timely with James Charles’ most scandal, it’s been interesting reading your responses to everyone who has brought it up in conversation.
I liked that you raised the topic of how people can be less sympathetic towards online celebrities having their privacy invaded by fans, like when they come to their house. There definitely is a different attitude towards digital stars and clearly they aren’t regarded with the same respect as traditionally celebrities. Why do you think this is? Do you think it is almost a form of resentment because a lot of people view what they do as something that “could be done by anyone”?
Enjoy the rest of the conference!
Alison
Hi Alison,
Thank you for your feedback, yes I think there is a misconception that what vloggers/content creators do could be done by anyone, and thusly they get less respect. Because influencers are perceived as more relatable and more like “everyday people”, I believe they can also inspire jealousy, even from fans who enjoy their content. And this can lead to the resentment you describe. In reality it’s more accurate to say that although anyone with a smartphone can upload to Youtube, it’s only the most hardworking, creative and dedicated that achieve this level of success, so in fact what influencers do cannot be done by anyone.
Thanks for your comments!
Hello CSligh,
Your paper was such a delight to read. Since you’ve talked about the youtuber James Charles, it reminds me of his latest scandal with Tati and how this literally blew up the whole make up community. He lost many subscribers and even the waiter involved in this scandal has to put a video explaining the situation. So the subscribers were really mad at his actions. However, currently his latest post is all about his justifications and people are probably regretting their decisions of not supporting him as he clearly mentioned he was not a sexual predator like Tati labelled him and the agreement to make out was mutual between him and the waiter. This kinda prove well to me that in the end it’s the influencer who has the major power even upon the public. Do you think it’s logic for us, as the general public to be swayed only through words of these youtube infleuencers rather than making judgement on our own consciousness? Looking forward to your thoughts.
I think that if anything the amount of people who came forward to share their experiences (eg the waiter you mentioned) shows the power of social media to facilitate alternative discourses, rather than just only the story that the influencer is giving. Whilst most fans are not directly involved in whatever is happening in an influencer’s life, and therefore can’t truly know the facts of any given situation first hand, the nature of social media does allow them to question everyone’s story, look for proof and make up their own minds. Thank you for your comment!
Hey, great paper! What an interesting phenomenon.
The Youtuber fandom thing is a relatively new concept for me so it was really cool to read your paper and learn a lot about the intricacies of the intimacy that can grow between fans and their favourite celebrities. I was feeling a sense of impending doom while reading it and thinking about my daughter (who is only three) and wondering what kinds of online relationships will be around when she grows up. However, your penultimate paragraph outlining the emotional, health and well-being benefits that can come from celebrity fandoms i.e. lady gaga’s “little monsters” does give me hope.
Thank you for that emotional ride!
Hi there,
Thank you for your feedback! Yes I also found this interesting and I partly wish I had gone in to greater detail about the meaningfulness of these kinds of relationships for young people especially, as it has been documented that one one the major changes that youth go through with puberty is social distancing from the parents and trying to find a social group to belong to. I think in the web 2.0 landscape we can see this happening with online fandoms. A topic for a future paper maybe! Thank you for your thoughts!
Hello,
I really enjoyed your paper,
All i can say is WOW. I had no idea about the James Charles case and it is shocking to me to think people feel entitled to rock up un announced. The only difference between YouTubers/Celebrities and everyday people, is the number of followers behind them. A normal ‘plain Jane’ still wouldn’t appreciate everyone showing up uninvited at any time of the day, so i don’t understand why fans think its ok to do it to them?. Yes they might show more of their life online, it is also their job to show more content online and to make a personal connection with followers.
I think it is important these fans remember that at the end of the day, these influencers are normal people too (who most likely enjoy walking around their house in their pj’s some days and not having to worry about the outside world.. just like us)
Thanks again for a great read!
Feel free to read my paper,
https://networkconference.netstudies.org/2019Curtin/2019/05/05/uncovering-all-sides-of-social-media-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly/
Renee,
Hi Renee,
Yes I think you’ve made a really important point, that is for influencers, sharing online is part of their WORK. I think too many people think that because they consume Youtube content and content on other social media platforms for free, that this is not a job for influencers. In reality we’d all be annoyed if work came knocking at our door at home! As this is a job that did not exist until relatively recently, it remains to be seen how is the best way to deal with these new concerns. Thanks for your comment!
This was a super interesting paper! I have wondered myself whether YouTubers are sincere when they say they love fans coming up to them in public to say hello and ask for photos, or whether that is more obligatory for them to clarify so they don’t come across as arrogant or ungrateful. And with tens of thousands of followers being so heavily invested in your life, it would be kind of spooky to think that they would know you as a friend figure, and not a stranger, like they would know you…
Hi there,
Thank you for your kind words about my paper! Yes most big Youtubers that I am aware of state that most of the time they are happy to be approached by fans, with some, particularly those with children, asking not to be approached if they are with their families for example. I think most fans can understand this and respect it, most people can read the context of a situation and decide whether approaching is appropriate. But with an audience of millions there will always be a few who lack the social skills or consideration to behave in an appropriate way, and this creates the tension for influencers that I talk about in my paper, between sharing your personal life to gain an audience and connect with people, and maintain a level of privacy at the same time.