Resisting hyperreality?: talking to young children about YouTube and YouTube Kids
O'Connor, Jane and Fotakopoulou, Olga and Ludgate, Shannon and Kewlramani, Sarika and Johnston, Kelly (2023) Resisting hyperreality?: talking to young children about YouTube and YouTube Kids. Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood. ISSN 1463-9491
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Abstract
This article reports on a study investigating how 13 young children in English speaking countries (England, Scotland, Australia, USA) watch and engage with digital content on YouTube and YouTube Kids (YT/YTK). Given the increasing amounts of time children spend viewing these platforms, and related concerns around the commercial algorithms which direct their viewing choices, the research aims were to understand how young children make choices about what to watch and to explore the extent of their comprehension of the constructed, ‘unreal’ nature that characterises a large proportion of these videos, particularly those presented by children (micro-celebrities). Using child centred methodologies the research was carried out by parent-researchers and the findings were analysed and interpreted using elements of Baudrillard’s (1994) theory of hyperreality. The study found that the children selected videos for a variety of reasons including those related to their ‘real-life’ interests, and were largely able to discern between the real and hyperreal in videos by drawing on existing frames of reference and applying their developing knowledge and understanding of the world. The paper provides insights into young children's experiences, understandings and preferences around using YT/YTK and extends Baudrillard's perspectives on the hyperreal from postmodernism into a post-digital conceptual realm.
| Item Type: | Article | ||||||
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| Identification Number: | https://doi.org/10.1177/14639491231166487 | ||||||
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| Uncontrolled Keywords: | YouTube Kids, Digital media, Baudrillard, Micro-celebrity, hyperreality | ||||||
| Subjects: | CAH04 - psychology > CAH04-01 - psychology > CAH04-01-01 - psychology (non-specific) CAH15 - social sciences > CAH15-04 - health and social care > CAH15-04-02 - childhood and youth studies |
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| Divisions: | Faculty of Business, Law and Social Sciences > School of Social Sciences > Dept. Psychology Faculty of Health, Education and Life Sciences > School of Education and Social Work |
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| Depositing User: | Gemma Tonks | ||||||
| Date Deposited: | 27 Feb 2023 14:08 | ||||||
| Last Modified: | 27 Apr 2023 14:25 | ||||||
| URI: | https://www.open-access.bcu.ac.uk/id/eprint/14209 |
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