Surely you remember the favorite stars of your childhood. Do you still have all those Bravo posters of idolized bands in children’s rooms in mind? Maybe you were even in a fan club?
It’s better to rave about a star together than alone – that hasn’t changed to this day. The YouTube video platform is creating very different kinds of stars than we used to know. And among boys and girls from around ten years of age, YouTube is highly popular: It is one of the most popular Internet offerings among children and young people, and with it the creators of the videos to be found there.
With their smartphones, they always have the videos of their stars with them. YouTube makes it possible for your child to put together his or her desired program as the mood takes them. The person behind the star no longer seems out of reach. YouTubers and Inflluencers are often role models for children and are considered “cool”. Since some of them are hardly older and pursue similar interests, they are like a digital extension of one’s own circle of friends. In contrast to classic role models and stars, YouTubers give the impression of behaving quite normally and authentically in their videos and presenting themselves exactly as they are. This goes down well with many children and sometimes they themselves wish they could slip into the role of a YouTuber.
The ability to leave comments directly below a video, which the YouTuber may refer to in the next video, creates even more perceived closeness between star and fan. Many YouTubers also try to do this by tapping into the everyday knowledge of young viewers in their videos. With various formats such as vlogs, a kind of public diary in video form, or “follow me around,” in which viewers can experience what feels like a star’s entire day, YouTube stars seem to get up close and personal in their free time. In so-called Let’s Plays , they can watch their stars play computer games and get tips.
Users often also have the opportunity to decide on new videos and topics, they can regularly win something and are provided with news on various social media channels, even if no new video is published at the moment.
Your child also admires one or more YouTube stars and would love to watch videos all the time? We’ve put together a few possible rules for YouTube use in the family.
It’s not so easy to understand what fascinates children and young people about YouTube and its stars. The ACT ON! project took a closer look at the most popular YouTube stars among 10- to 14-year-olds. You can read more about the individual YouTubers on the ACT ON! project blog.
