Qu’est-ce qu’être authentique sur YouTube ? Une étude de réception des vlogues du type A Day in my Life

Abstract

Given contemporary changes in self-exposure, the issue of authenticity often arises in discourse surrounding the content posted on social media. Influencers and YouTubers claim authenticity and present it as a value that underpins their success, while their detractors criticize and challenge it. But what are we really referring to when we talk about authenticity in exchanges on social media sites, particularly on YouTube? This article seeks to define the concept of authenticity, based on a literature review of vlogs and their relationship to authenticity, as well as the results of a Québec-based study on A Day in My Life-type YouTube vlogs. The methodology is based on a complementarity of comprehensive interviews, and the research seeks to provide a better understanding of what is meant by the word authenticity in the context of self-documenting online.

Keywords

• authenticity
• influencers
• Québec
• vlogs
• YouTube