YouTube as a Factor in Shaping the Protest Potential of Young People

Abstract

Introduction. The relevance of the work is due to the increased protest activity of young people in recent years, resulting from the dissatisfaction with the actions of the supreme authorities. Young people’s solidarity on a number of sociopolitical issues and the ability to consolidate in protest activity, if the situation requires it, invite considerations of the presence of a serious protest potential among young people. The purpose of the work is to study the influence of the Russian segment of YouTube on the formation of the protest potential of young people in a region. Materials and Methods. The article presents the materials of the sociological survey ‘Analysis of the Potential of YouTube as a Factor in the Formation of the Protest Movement among Young People’ conducted using the sampling method (availability sampling) in accordance with the methodology devised by J. Mueller and K. Schuessler. Results. The study has revealed that the overwhelming majority of young people in the region are aware of various protests taking place in Russia. An interesting and at the same time contradictory trend of ‘ageing’ of the protest potential in the regions has been noticed: the older the respondents are the more proportion of them watch ‘oppositional’ YouTube channels. The ‘oppositional’ channels most viewed by young people have been identified, they are: Alexey Navalny’s сhannel, ‘Dozhd’ (TV Rain) channel, ‘Kamikadzedead’, ‘VALERON 2%’, and ‘Novosti SVERKHDERZHAVY’ (Superpower News). Discussion and Conclusion. Analysis of the research results has shown that YouTube is the second most popular media resource in Russia and, along with social networks, is becoming an influential discourse platform for discussing socially important domestic issues, where the so-called ‘oppositional’ YouTube channels have a significant influence on public opinion, form a news agenda, set the tone for public debate. The results of the study can be used by the authorities in improving regional information and socio-economic policies, by law enforcement officers and special services for the development and planning of programs to prevent manifestations of extremism.