Understanding Users’ Preference to Engage in YouTubers

Abstract

The YouTubers are the new vocations to make money. People like to access the videos to relax or learn from the special YouTuber. Despite the growth and commercial potential of virtual worlds, relatively little is known about what users’ motivations to favor specific YouTubers. This paper offered and empirically tested a conceptual model to fill this gap. Given the system characteristics (mobility, reachability, compatibility, convenience) and YouTuber specific characteristics (escapism and post popularity) integrated extrinsic and intrinsic motivation as their preference determinants. Using PROCESS on a survey of 349 users of YouTube. The results confirmed the role of extrinsic and intrinsic motivation as preference determinants and showed the two system and two YouTuber specific characteristics as motivational basis. Implications for research and practice are discussed.