YouTube and You: Experiences of Self-awareness in the Context Collapse of the Recording Webcam

Date

2010-10-07T18:25:53Z

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Abstract

New media not only introduce new ways for us to express ourselves, but also new forms of self-awareness—new ways to reflect on who we are and how we relate to others. This article analyzes the experiences of self-awareness generated by creating, viewing, and responding to deeply personal, unaddressed vlogs on YouTube. Using a symbolic interactionist framework, it is argued that the globally connected, recording webcam linking privatized spaces creates a context for sharing profound moments of self-refl ection and for creating connections that are experienced as profoundly deep yet remain ephemeral and loose.

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Keywords

YouTube, New media, Goffman, Self-awareness, Webcam, Online video, Self, Anthropology, Ethnography

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