Industry & Online Media

Online Media

Zoella & Attitude

Henry Jenkins & Clay Shirky

Pokemon Glaswegian dub

Is this the preferred reading?

No

Who is the target audience?

Children 

This video is an example of the audience interacting with the product. The creator doesn't dislike the show even though he is not the demographic, he has done it in an affectionate and comical way. 

He is part of a cult audience

Examples of audience interaction with ZOELLA

• Comments - example: the 'fuck Zoella' comment where they berated her, it isn't an interaction from a fan but rather a 'hater'

Curran and Seaton - Power within the industry: Mental health, algorithms, and greed in YouTube (Zoella)

Alex Jones

• Propaganda doesn't work the way we think it does

What is an algorithm?

• A set of rules which allows something to function by itself
• In terms of YouTube, how to make things popular by trending keywords, but doesn't acknowledge the content itself - shows flaws in the algorithm 

To what extent does Zoella use the algorithm to manipulate her audience?

• Using hashtags - like a search filter 
• Repetitions
• Thumbnails - serif, informal, childish, big font. The same facial expression. This is because through the use of repetition, means that the algorithm associates the stylistic choice with what gets views and therefore recommends it
• Head tilt - cute, girly
• Keywords in titles - she gets clicks and views, gaining the appeal of the algorithm
• AI - Robotics with superior thinking to classical technology that would emulate human-like characteristics

Machine learning - the process of forming AI

NETFLIX

• Work out based on algorithmic processes what you will be interested in
• Showing thumbnails that will appeal to that specific person (if assuming their ethnicity)

Zoella is not targetting an audience but is using algorithmic practice to target a theoretical machine fabricated audience.

Clickbait 

• 'bait' - to trick someone
• Therefore clickbait is trying to trick someone into clicking something online
• classically in a bizarre way

Why do these entice the audience to click?

• Interaction - putting your date of birth in, "can you?" direct mode of address
• The wording of titles - "heartbreaking", "doctors have no words"
• Locational devices
• trying to use something to dramatize the photos
• hermeneutic code
• real life Barbie - 

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