Semiotic analysis of YouTube videos within the context of visual perception theories: The case of the Metaverse

In almost every phase of human history, technology and digitalization have become fundamental building blocks. With technological changes, digitality continues to evolve and further develop day by day. Among the various dimensions brought by digitality, the Metaverse universe has emerged, enabling individuals to realize everything they imagine, beyond a physical universe, in a virtual space where they can interact with anyone, anytime, and anywhere. With the advent of the Metaverse universe, perceptual universe tools such as Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality, and Mixed Reality have also begun to evolve. Today, Artificial Intelligence, regarded as the pinnacle of these technologies, has surpassed human intelligence in many areas by imitating human cognitive abilities. All these universes also have a perceptual aspect that varies across individuals, environments, and conditions. These elements have been extensively detailed concerning the characteristics of perception. This study investigates the impact of semiotic signs and visual perception principles in enhancing the perception of digital video viewers in popular YouTube videos. The video titled "This Will Come After the Internet! METAVERSE," published on Barış Özcan's YouTube channel on September 19, 2021, is examined in this study. Selected sequences from the video are analyzed using the principles of Gestalt Perception Theory and Roland Barthes' "Denotation and Connotation" technique. The purpose of this research, grounded in the influence of YouTube videos on the perception of digital video viewers, is to reveal how YouTube videos shape viewers' visual perception through Gestalt and semiotic analysis methods. It is believed that this study will contribute to the literature for researchers interested in Metaverse, Blockchain, Gestalt, Visual Perception, Semiotics, Digitalization, Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality, Mixed Reality, Extended Reality, and Artificial Intelligence. Key Words: Metaverse, Gestalt, Visual Perception, Semiotics, Digitalization, Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality, Mixed Reality, Artificial Intelligence.