Critical methods and user generated content: the iPhone on YouTube

Mark Blythe, Paul Cairns

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

Abstract

Sites like YouTube offer vast sources of data for studies of Human Computer, Interaction (HCI). However, they also present a number of methodological challenges. This paper offers an example study of the initial reception of the iPhone 3G through YouTube. It begins with a quantitative account of the overall shape of the most frequently viewed returns for an "iPhone 3G" search. A content analysis of the first hundred videos then explores the returns categorized by genre. Comment's on the most popular video "Will It Blend" are analyzed using grounded theory. It is argued that social science methods are not sufficient for a rich understanding of such material. The paper concludes with an analysis of "Will it Blend" that draws on cultural and critical theory. It is argued that a multi-methodological approach is necessary to exploit such data and also to address the challenges of next generation HCI.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationCHI2009: PROCEEDINGS OF THE 27TH ANNUAL CHI CONFERENCE ON HUMAN FACTORS IN COMPUTING SYSTEMS, VOLS 1-4
EditorsS Greenberg, SE Hudson, K Hinkley, M RingelMorris, DR Olsen
Place of PublicationNEW YORK
PublisherACM
Pages1467-1476
Number of pages10
ISBN (Print)978-1-60558-246-7
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2009
Event27th Annual CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems - Boston
Duration: 4 Apr 20099 Apr 2009

Conference

Conference27th Annual CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems
CityBoston
Period4/04/099/04/09

Keywords

  • Critical Theory
  • User Experience
  • User Generated Content
  • Research Methods
  • Green HCI
  • iPhone
  • YouTube

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