Flaming on YouTube

In this explorative study, flaming on YouTube was studied using surveys of YouTube users. Flaming is defined as displaying hostility by insulting, swearing or using otherwise offensive language. Three general conclusions were drawn. First, although many users said that they themselves do not flame, flaming appears to be very common on YouTube. Second, views on flaming varied but were more often negative than positive. Some people refrain from uploading videos as a result of flaming, but most users do not think of flaming as a problem for themselves. Third, several explanations of flaming were found to be plausible, among which were perceived flaming norms and the reduced awareness of other people's feelings. Although some YouTube users flame for entertainment, flaming is more often intended to express disagreement or as a response to a perceived offense by others.

[1]  S. Kiesler,et al.  Group decision making and communication technology , 1992 .

[2]  Steven M. Drucker,et al.  The effect of communication modality on cooperation in online environments , 2000, CHI.

[3]  R. Spears,et al.  Knowing Me, Knowing You: Anonymity Effects on Social Identity Processes within Groups , 2001 .

[4]  Milam W. Aiken,et al.  Flaming among first-time group support system users , 2000, Inf. Manag..

[5]  J. Walther.  Anticipated Ongoing Interaction Versus Channel Effects on Relational Communication in Computer-Mediated Interaction , 1994 .

[6]  T. Postmes,et al.  The Formation of Group Norms in Computer-Mediated Communication , 2000 .

[7]  Andrew J. Flanagin,et al.  A self-awareness approach to computer-mediated communication , 2006, Comput. Hum. Behav..

[8]  Guy L. Steele,et al.  The Hacker's Dictionary , 1993 .

[9]  Sara Kiesler,et al.  Social psychological aspects of computer-mediated communication , 1984 .

[10]  Patricia G. Lange.  What is your claim to flame? , 2006, First Monday.

[11]  N. Kock,et al.  Media richness or media naturalness? The evolution of our biological communication apparatus and its influence on our behavior toward E-communication tools , 2005, IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication.

[12]  J. Taylor,et al.  The Way People Communicate Electronically , 1992, Conference Record on Crossing Frontiers..

[13]  Martin Halvey,et al.  Exploring social dynamics in online media sharing , 2007, WWW '07.

[14]  Philip A. Thompsen.  An Episode of Flaming: A Creative Narrative. , 1994 .

[15]  Patricia G. Lange.  Searching for the ‘You’ in ‘YouTube’: An Analysis of Online Response Ability , 2007 .

[16]  Russell Spears,et al.  COMPUTER-MEDIATED COMMUNICATION, DEINDIVIDUATION AND GROUP DECISION-MAKING , 1991 .

[17]  Milam W. Aiken,et al.  Flaming in electronic communication , 2004, Decis. Support Syst..

[18]  Andrew J. Flanagin,et al.  Reconceptualizing ‘flaming’ and other problematic messages , 2003, New Media Soc..

[19]  Giuseppe Riva,et al.  Say not to say : new perspectives on miscommunication , 2002 .

[20]  Russell Spears,et al.  Computer-Mediated Communication, De-Individuation and Group Decision-Making , 1991, Int. J. Man Mach. Stud..

[21]  Anna K. Turnage,et al.  Email Flaming Behaviors and Organizational Conflict , 2007, J. Comput. Mediat. Commun..

[22]  Martin Lea,et al.  Contexts of computer-mediated communication , 1992 .

[23]  N. Epley,et al.  Egocentrism over e-mail: can we communicate as well as we think? , 2005, Journal of personality and social psychology.

[24]  Peter J. Moor,et al.  Conforming to the flaming norm in the online commenting situation , 2007 .

[25]  Katelyn Y. A. McKenna,et al.  The internet and social life. , 2004, Annual review of psychology.

[26]  Keith Dorwick.  Beyond Politeness: Flaming and the Realm of the Violent. , 1993 .

[27]  L. Festinger,et al.  Some consequences of de-individuation in a group , 1952 .

[28]  Lance Strate,et al.  Communication and Cyberspace: Social Interaction in an Electronic Environment , 1996 .

[29]  J. M. Kayany.  Contexts of uninhibited online behavior: flaming in social newsgroups on Usenet , 1998 .

[30]  M. Hogg,et al.  Rediscovering the social group: A self-categorization theory. , 1989 .

[31]  Lee Sproull,et al.  Reducing social context cues: electronic mail in organizational communication , 1986 .

[32]  Kim Carter,et al.  Type Me How You Feel: Quasi-Nonverbal Cues in Computer-Mediated Communication. (an Internet Fieldtrip Report) , 2003 .

[33]  E. Diener.  Deindividuation: Causes and Consequences. , 1977 .

[34]  T. Postmes,et al.  A Social Identity Model of Deindividuation Phenomena , 1995 .

[35]  Linda L. Putnam,et al.  Handbook of Organizational Communication: An Interdisciplinary Perspective , 1987 .

[36]  R. C. Sherman,et al.  A reexamination of deindividuation in synchronous computer-mediated communication , 1999 .

[37]  Philip A. Thompsen,et al.  Effects of Pictographs and Quoting on Flaming in Electronic Mail. , 1996 .

[38]  Joseph B. Walther,et al.  The Impacts of Emoticons on Message Interpretation in Computer-Mediated Communication , 2001 .

[39]  S. Thompson.  Social Learning Theory , 2008 .

[40]  Scott A. Shamp.  Mechanomorphism in Perception of Computer Communication Partners. , 1991 .

[41]  Nancy J. Cooke,et al.  The effects of emotional icons on remote communication , 1996, CHI Conference Companion.

[42]  T. Postmes,et al.  Social Influence in Computer-Mediated Communication: The Effects of Anonymity on Group Behavior , 2001 .

[43]  Tom Postmes,et al.  When are net effects gross products? The power of influence and the influence of power in computer-mediated communication. , 2002 .

[44]  Giuseppe Riva,et al.  9. Communicating in CMC: making order out of miscommunication , 2002 .

[45]  Kanji Akahori,et al.  E-mail Communication Versus Face-to-Face Communication: Perception of Other fs Personality and Emotional State , 2004 .

[46]  Tim O'Shea,et al.  'Flaming' in computer-mediated communication: Observations, explanations, implications. , 1992 .

[47]  F. B. Krohn,et al.  A Generational Approach to Using Emoticons as Nonverbal Communication , 2004 .

[48]  S. Kiesler,et al.  Group processes in computer-mediated communication☆ , 1986 .

[49]  Steven C. Currall,et al.  Conflict Escalation: Dispute Exacerbating Elements of E-mail Communication , 2003 .

[50]  Bruce V. Lewenstein,et al.  Anatomy of a flame: conflict and community building on the Internet , 1995 .

[51]  H. Tajfel,et al.  The Social Identity Theory of Intergroup Behavior. , 2004 .

[52]  T. Postmes,et al.  Deindividuation and antinormative behavior: A meta-analysis. , 1998 .

[53]  J. Silla,et al.  The influence of familiarity among group members, group atmosphere and assertiveness on uninhibited behavior through three different communication media , 2000 .

[54]  Harry L. Miller.  Formation of group norms. , 1953 .

[55]  Patricia G. Lange.  Getting to Know You: Using Hostility to Reduce Anonymity in Online Communication , 2006 .

[56]  Shelly Farnham,et al.  Decreasing online 'bad' behavior , 2002, CHI Extended Abstracts.

[57]  Katelyn Y. A. McKenna,et al.  Plan 9 From Cyberspace: The Implications of the Internet for Personality and Social Psychology , 2000 .

[58]  Kanji Akahori,et al.  Effects of emotional cues transmitted in e-mail communication on the emotions experienced by senders and receivers , 2007, Comput. Hum. Behav..

[59]  Jiangchuan Liu,et al.  Understanding the Characteristics of Internet Short Video Sharing: YouTube as a Case Study , 2007, ArXiv.

[60]  G. Bubas.  Computer mediated communication theories and phenomena : Factors that influence collaboration over the Internet , 2001 .

[61]  Daantje Derks,et al.  The role of emotion in computer-mediated communication: A review , 2008, Comput. Hum. Behav..

[62]  Daantje Derks,et al.  Emoticons and social interaction on the Internet: the importance of social context , 2007, Comput. Hum. Behav..

[63]  S. Worchel,et al.  Psychology of intergroup relations , 1986 .

[64]  R. Baron,et al.  Model's behavior and attraction toward the model as determinants of adult aggressive behavior. , 1970, Journal of personality and social psychology.

[65]  Sara B. Kiesler,et al.  Affect in Computer-Meditated Communication: An Experiment in Synchronous Terminal-to-Terminal Discussion , 1985, Hum. Comput. Interact..

[66]  J. Walther.  Computer-Mediated Communication , 1996 .

[67]  H. McKee.  "YOUR VIEWS SHOWED TRUE IGNORANCE!!!": (Mis)Communication in an Online Interracial Discussion Forum , 2002 .

[68]  G. Gonzales,et al.  Information Technologies , 2019, Encyclopedia of Education and Information Technologies.

[69]  Russell Spears,et al.  Visibility and anonymity effects on attraction and group cohesiveness , 2007 .

[70]  Elena Rocco,et al.  Trust breaks down in electronic contexts but can be repaired by some initial face-to-face contact , 1998, CHI.