Social media and celebrity culture: An ethnographic study on YouTuber kids

In recent years, with the rise of social media and video sharing site YouTube, "YouTube celebrities", with millions of subscribers, have emerged by producing digital games, make-up and fashion videos and vlogs. These people are becoming famous among children and youth, motivating them to open YouTube channels and produce similar contents. Moreover, they set an example for children in terms of being famous. The thesis has analyzed how YouTube celebrities take place in children's daily lives, how they shape their perceptions of adulthood and acquiring a profession, and how this cultural landscape is evaluated within the context of children's rights. To this end, using in-depth interview technique, an ethnographic research was conducted with a group of 30 amateur YouTubers and their parents from different classes and demographic characteristics. As a result of field research, it was seen that the purpose of children to open YouTube channel was based on many reasons such as being famous, interacting, making friends and socializing, and they take famous YouTubers as role models in this process. In addition, it has been understood that children want to do professions that are accepted by the society such as teachers, doctors, lawyers and engineers in the future and they consider being YouTuber as a hobby rather than a profession.