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Cited by 63Media and Digital CommunicationGender, Feminism, and MediaDigital Marketing and Social Media

The Drama of Metrics: Status, Spectacle, and Resistance Among YouTube Drama Creators

Open access
Christin, Angèle, Lewis, Rebecca·2021·Social Media + Society
DOI 10.1177/2056305121999660
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Abstract

How does it feel to have one’s online worth and status be based almost exclusively on metrics? We examine this question through a qualitative study of YouTube “drama” channels. Drama creators cover the conflicts and scandals taking place among top YouTube celebrities. As producers of meta-commentary, they often rely on metrics as indicators of influence and celebrity on YouTube, thus constituting a relevant site to examine the connection between social media metrics and status. Based on interviews with English-speaking drama creators, we report three main findings. First, creators have a double orientation toward YouTube, which they understand as a site of both economic opportunities and tight-knit relationships. Second, the meanings that creators attach to metrics—their own and the ones of top YouTubers—reflect this double orientation: for them, metrics correlate with economic revenue and social status. Due to this central and multifaceted role of metrics, we find that traffic numbers can turn into a spectacle of their own for drama creators. Third, even in a context in which metrics are central, we identify several distancing strategies on the part of creators. We conclude by discussing whether—and why—resistance to metrics can be found everywhere.

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Crossref · 10.1177/2056305121999660

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Authors
Christin, A., & Lewis, R.
Affiliations
Stanford University (US)
Corresponding author
Christin, Angèle
ORCID
Venue
Social Media + Society
Publisher
SAGE Publications
Published
2021-01
Volume
7
Issue
1
ISSN
2056-3051 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1177/2056305121999660
OpenAlex
W3136899467
Cited by
63
References
42
Citations by year
2026: 13 · 2025: 14 · 2024: 15 · 2023: 12 · 2022: 7 · 2021: 2
FWCI
4.04
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Social Media + Society (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Computer Networks and Communications › Media and Digital Communication
  • Social Sciences › Gender Studies › Gender, Feminism, and Media
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Digital Marketing and Social Media
Keywords
social media metrics, celebrity, metacommentary, spectacle, distancing strategies, creator economy

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