Plattformen Youtube grundades år 2005 och har sedan dess fortsatt att konstant expandera. Idag är Youtube en världsledande medieplattform med miljontals användare som konsumerar, publicerar och delar youtube-videor. Youtube har utvecklats till att bli en plattform med enorm räckvidd, där influerare inom skönhet och mode skapar innehåll genom att visa upp sina privata liv, tipsa om nya modetrender, visa upp sina favoritplagg och ge råd om skönhetsprodukter för sina hundratusentals prenumeranter. Influerare kallas för vår tids opinionsbildare, som idag har stora följarskaror på sina sociala medier. Genom att dela med sig av sina liv, väcker de stort engagemang hos främst unga tjejer som dagligen konsumerar influerarnas innehåll. Redan vid 11 årsålder, använder idag ungdomar mobilen dagligen. Det dagliga mobilanvändandet som kryper allt lägre ner i åldrarna, ser ut att fortsatt stiga sedan sociala medier och smartphones integrerades i ungdomars liv. Med utgångspunkt i konstruktivistiska teorier, ser vi framställningen av genus som en konstruktion vilken porträtteras genom medier och reklam. Vår kvalitativa studies analys utgår därmed från ett genusperspektiv, vars syfte är att analysera hur influerare framställer och upprätthåller normer och ideal kopplade till femininitet genom sponsrade youtube-videor. Studien har genomförts genom en retorisk samt semiotisk innehållsanalys, för att synliggöra och medvetandegöra influerarens dolda strategier för att övertyga tittaren genom reklamen. Resultaten från analysen visade att normer och kroppsideal upprätthålls av influerarna  genom de sponsrade youtube-videorna. Femininitet framställs av influerarna på ett onyanserat sätt, där innehållet konstruerar en ständig bild av att du som kvinna ska vara attraktiv, sensuell och ta hand om ditt yttre. De sponsrade youtube-videorna blir en ständig påminnelse om de feminina normer du som kvinna ska leva upp till i den samhälleliga diskursen.

Sustainable communication is intensively being done through social media platforms such as YouTube to create awareness among people. It is imperative to encourage people to adopt sustainable eating to have better health and a better environment—this research study aimed at analyzing the persuasive discourse in videos related to sustainable eating on YouTube. For this, the research has applied rhetorical analysis to three YouTube videos, focusing on the basic persuasive strategies: ethos, pathos, and logos. The analysis discussed how the speakers in these videos encourage their viewers to adopt sustainable eating. Through comparing these videos, the findings suggested what made the videos more persuasive and what weakened their ability to appeal to the audience. The results of the study contribute to the sustainable communicators who are willing to persuade their viewers to adopt sustainable eating.

YouTube is a global video sharing platform, affecting millions of users daily with its algorithm. With the lack of research on users’ perspectives this study explored: How different age groups reflect and respond to problematic aspects of the YouTube algorithm. Two different age groups were interviewed to probe their perspectives and test any following shifts in attitudes or behavior. Using the lens of the Transtheoretical behavior change model (“Stages of Change”), these two groups were taxonomised and revealed differing affective perceptions and dynamics towards intentions to change. The younger generations proved to be more rigid, while the older indicated more flexibility to change. These and other perception dimensions such as: self-assessment, level of trust, responsibility issues and engagement practices were explored and compared between two age groups. / YouTube är en global plattform för videodelning vars algoritmer dagligen påverkar miljontals användare, samtidigt som det saknas forskning om användarperspektivet. I denna studie undersöks: Hur olika åldersgrupper reflekterar och svarar mot de problematiska aspekterna av YouTubes algoritm. Intervjuer genomfördes med två skilda ålderskategorier för att studera deras perspektiv och påföljande förändringar i attityder och beteenden. Grupperna kategoriserades sedan utifrån behaviorismens transteoretiska utvecklingsmodell (“Förändringsstadier”) vilket visade på varierande affektiv perception och dynamik vad gäller förändring intention. De yngre generationerna visade sig vara mer rigida medan de äldre påvisade en större flexibilitet. Andra perceptionsdimensioner som har undersökts och jämförts mellan åldersgrupperna är självbedömning, förtroendenivåer, ansvarsfrågor och engagemangspraktik.

Detta examensarbete har till syfte att undersöka ungdomars identitetsskapande genom musik, hur de förhåller och använder sig av musik. Jag undersöker även musikens funktion som gruppmarkör och klädstilens roll i ungdomars liv. Genom sex kvalitativa intervjuer med elever i årskurs nio, samt en intervju med Behrang Miri (musikpedagog), analyserar jag musikens betydelse för identitetsskapande. Jag har valt att fördjupa mig i ungdomars identitetsskapande för att utöka min förståelse för mina blivande elever. Min huvudfråga är; Skapar ungdomar identitet genom olika musikgenrer? Jag undersöker även hur musik och klädstil hör ihop. I resultatdelen presenterar jag det som kommit att bli tydligt genom intervjuerna; ungdomars musikidentitet. Därefter följer analys och teoretisk tolkning där jag väver samman resultatet från intervjuerna med den teoretiska bakgrunden. Jag avslutar sedan mitt examensarbete med diskussion och slutsats, i vilken jag presenterar att ungdomar inte tycks skapa sin identitet genom musikgenrer – på många sätt genom musik och klädstil, men inte specifikt genrer. Musik verkar vara något högst personligt medan kläder är ett yttre verktyg för att visa andra hur man är som person.

This thesis endeavors to make sense of how Jordan Peterson, a highly controversial public figure—who is rapidly becoming academia’s equivalent to a rock star—is perceived by his online audience. To that end, the study adopts an analytical approach while integrating several theoretical frameworks, including the concept of echo chambers. It concentrates on Peterson’s two most viewed videos on YouTube, found on British GQ (@BritishGQ) and Channel 4 News (@Channel4News), examining the comments section for insights. Besides being the most popular entries with a combined total of over one hundred million views, these videos are also of particular interest since they both involve a one-on-one interview format with a host questioning Peterson about similar yet different topics. While Peterson has been the subject of various research in different disciplines, little attention has been paid to how his audience in social media generally perceives him as a public figure. The primary objective is to discover more about his online following by evaluating their comments, particularly those that receive the most likes and appear at the top. The data is intricate and encompasses various inquiries that call for clarification. The investigation employs corpus linguistics, computational methods, and sentiment analysis to gain deeper insight into the data. The analysis revealed that the majority of influential commenters expressed favorable opinions about the interviewee, with subjective language and direct quotes from the interview being prevalent. There were also distinct themes and echo chambers present, and comments with polarized sentiments tended to be more popular among viewers. In addition to discussing the technical aspects and limitations that must be considered when interpreting the findings, this study emphasizes the promise of social media and new media as powerful tools for effecting social change and promoting public discourse on various issues. The study concludes that employing various methods simultaneously to paint a comprehensive picture from a dataset seems exciting and that the choice of approach comes down to the research questions and the resources available. The paper calls for further research to determine the extent to which the findings can be applied to similar ventures and explore the implications of echo chambers on public perception and discourse.

The purpose of this study is to investigate perceptions of grammar introductions on YouTube in the education of spanish in swedish primary schools. Based on our research questions, we have collected perceptions about this didactic teaching tool through surveys and interviews. We have then analyzed these perceptions based on didactic theories about different learning styles, individual adaptation and factors that affect students' learning conditions. The results of the study show that both the advantages and disadvantages that teachers and students perceive of grammatical introductions on YouTube can be linked to the individual conditions that the students have. / El propósito de este estudio es investigar las percepciones sobre las introducciones gramaticales en YouTube en la enseñanza del español en la escuela primaria sueca. Basado en nuestras preguntas de investigación, hemos recogido percepciones sobre el este material didáctico mencionado a través de encuestas y entrevistas. Luego hemos analizado estas percepciones basándonos en teorías didácticas sobre diferentes estilos de aprendizaje, adaptación individual y factores que afectan las condiciones de aprendizaje de los estudiantes. Los resultados del estudio muestran que tanto las ventajas como las desventajas que profesores y estudiantes perciben de las introducciones gramaticales en YouTube pueden vincularse a las condiciones individuales que tienen los estudiantes.

The rhetorical presidency encompasses all the ways a president communicates and acts. These rhetorical elements of the job are not prescribed in the Constitution and as a result it is the presidents themselves who help shape the cultural understanding of presidentiality, of what it means to be president. When President Barack Obama participated in a "Slow Jam the News" comedy sketch on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon in 2012, he took the rhetorical presidency to a place it had never been before. This choice established a new genre of presidential rhetoric that President Obama would rely on throughout his time in the White House—communicating directly to target audiences via the YouTube bully pulpit. The aim of this thesis is twofold: first, provide historical context for presidents utilizing comedy and new forms of mass media for political ends; and second, rhetorically analyze select comedic YouTube videos to reveal how President Obama reshaped the rhetorical presidency to create new opportunities to succeed both culturally and politically.

The rhetorical presidency encompasses all the ways a president communicates and acts. These rhetorical elements of the job are not prescribed in the Constitution and as a result it is the presidents themselves who help shape the cultural understanding of presidentiality, of what it means to be president. When President Barack Obama participated in a œSlow Jam the News comedy sketch on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon in 2012, he took the rhetorical presidency to a place it had never been before. This choice established a new genre of presidential rhetoric that President Obama would rely on throughout his time in the White House”communicating directly to target audiences via the YouTube bully pulpit. The aim of this thesis is twofold: first, provide historical context for presidents utilizing comedy and new forms of mass media for political ends; and second, rhetorically analyze select comedic YouTube videos to reveal how President Obama reshaped the rhetorical presidency to create new opportunities to succeed both culturally and politically.

With the increasing number of breast cancer survivors, there is a need to enhance health education to help survivors make informed decisions about maximizing their quality of life. YouTube is one of the most popular video applications that can be used for public health education. Nonetheless, there is little research on the content of health-related information that is uploaded to YouTube relevant to breast cancer survivors. This study was intended to help fill that gap in knowledge by describing the sources, formats, and content conveyed in the most widely viewed YouTube videos on breast cancer. YouTube was searched with a cleared browsing history using the key search term “breast cancer.” The resulting videos were sorted by view count. Videos were then screened for inclusion and exclusion criteria, yielding a sample of 100 videos with the most views. Video title, link, number of views, and date of upload were coded along with content included in each video. The inter- and intra-rater reliability was acceptable (Kappa’s = .79 and .97, respectively). The sample of 100 videos was collectively viewed 135,311,626 times, suggesting that the subject of breast cancer is a popular topic on YouTube. Nearly half of the sample videos (n = 45) were uploaded by television news/media agencies. Combined/multiple formats were the most popular format (n = 61), followed by still images/text (n = 48). General information on cancer was found to be the most common (n = 71), followed by screening for breast cancer occurrence/ recurrence (n = 62), and cancer treatments/breast cancer treatments (n = 45). Several of the content categories were rarely covered in the most-watched videos—for example, cancer rehabilitation recommendations, returning to work after cancer treatment, and financial burden/management of cancer. Thus, while topics such as breast cancer screening are widely covered, topics for breast cancer survivors regarding maximizing their quality of life are less widely covered. Few videos (n = 3) contained misinformation, but these videos were viewed millions of times, emphasizing the need for ongoing monitoring to identify and remove misinformation. The findings of this study indicated that YouTube videos on breast cancer gained over 135 million views. YouTube can be a great media channel for public health education. Nonetheless, there is significant need for more high-quality YouTube videos to be created to help breast cancer survivors navigate their cancer journey.

This dissertation explores the current use of YouTube in music studies in higher education while suggesting a reconsideration of the academic as both source and resource in the neo-information age. In it, I summarize interviews with ten current YouTube content creators who run music education channels, focusing on their role as teachers in an invisible classroom. I also share findings from a nationwide survey of instructors who teach music studies in higher education. The results illustrate how music professors use YouTube for teaching and learning in a post-pandemic world. I aim to bridge the divide between the ivory tower and cybersphere by highlighting current collaborations between traditional and YouTube academics and suggesting how the two can cooperate to maximize learning effectiveness for Generation Z. Chapter 1 serves as an introduction and provides a brief history of YouTube. Chapter 2 offers a literature review. In Chapter 3, I review the sociology of knowledge, hyperreality, and the idea of the “unacademic,” all of which are philosophical concepts central to my discussion of YouTube content creators and their role as educators in relation to traditional professors in higher education. Chapter 4 describes the survey results, and Chapter 5 summarizes the content creator interviews. In the conclusion, Chapter 6, I offer my thoughts on the future of music studies in the traditional university and YouTubiversity. / Music History