The study is focused on successful Youtube Gamers and those that watch their videos. The study, though focusing on both, mostly focuses on the viewers themselves. The majority of the viewers being middle school to high school grade students. This is designed to analyze the emotions a person feels when watching their favorite Youtube Gamer, and the factors that make them subscribe to the Youtuber and/or watch more of their content. The study will comprise of several known fans of certain popular youtubers, as well as possibly one such youtuber.
One part of the study will be a questionnaire sent out by a popular youtuber in some way, shape, or form. Be it a link in a video of theirs, or a post on their social media, they will send the questionnaire out to the multitude of fans watching the video and ask them to answer it. Another method would be getting a handful of High School or Middle School level children who are fans of a certain Gaming Youtuber and show them a video made by said Youtuber. As they watch, myself and possibly my mentor will analyze and record the reactions of the individuals. Before and after the video, we will have them fill out a survey about the youtuber and their reason for liking said Youtuber, as well as their age, gender and grade level.
My sampling will most likely become a convenience sampling as well as purposive, as well as a random sample. It will be a convenience sampling because I will be interviewing and analyzing local fans of a certain youtuber. It will also be purposive, because I will be interviewing and analyzing at least three high schoolers who watch gaming content on Youtube. Beyond those, they may not share similarities like race or gender. It may also be a random sample, mainly due to we don’t know who will respond and answer the questionnaire sent out by the famous youtuber via social media or in a link in a video. It may be someone watching the youtuber for the first time for all we know.
There are several risks in this project. There may not be a youtuber who would accept my proposal to work with me on this project. Another problem for this survey could be a breach in confidentiality. Though I’m not seen often around school, there will be several subjects who will be from the same school. They will, regardless of who, try to “perform” they believe we want them to act. I am unsure of how to avoid these risks.
This is a question that most parents ask their children these days: “Why do you enjoy watching someone else play a videogame?”. This study will not only answer that question for parents, but for the children being asked. Most people never really pay attention to it, as such the question is rarely asked or even studied. So in a sense, this study would possibly be one of the first of this topic. However, we will find as much data as we can to ensure we find answers to bring the two generations together.
Research Questions:
Why do the viewers enjoy the videos enough to subscribe for more?
What does it take to become a popular video game youtuber?
What makes them popular enough to earn millions of dollars if successful?
Interview Protocol
Name:
Age:
Grade: