Exploring Cancel Culture and the Distrust of YouTube Influencers

Abstract

YouTube is the third most visited website in the world after Google and Facebook, and the second most visited social media platform after Facebook (Khan, 2017). As over 90% of 18- to 24-year-old U.S. American internet users use YouTube (Chen, 2020), this study tackles how individuals between in this age group view their role within cancel culture, specifically on the YouTube platform. A qualitative approach, collecting data from 5 focus groups, allowed for points on cancel culture and the James Charles and Tati Westbrook case to surface. Findings showed that many participants don’t believe that cancel culture is a beneficial aspect of the culture on the platform but believe that it can be necessary in some cases. Participants elaborated on their own experiences on YouTube, explaining their thoughts and beliefs as it came to cancel culture on the platform. This study attempts to fulfill a literature gap due to no clear prior research on cancel culture. The research focuses on the audience role and their effect on cancel culture in the YouTube space.