Systemic, social and emotional challenges and magic moments in the professional life of full-time and part-time YouTubers: “Have fun and work at the same time”

Abstract

Aim of the present article in the journal Gruppe. Interaktion. Organisation (GIO) is to identify the challenges and motivation of YouTubers in their role as content creators and to identify possible causes of these challenges. I demonstrate by means of guided interviews and their evaluation that YouTube creators are confronted with a high degree of systemic, emotional and social stress in their work on content creation. Under certain circumstances, this stress leads to exhaustion or burnout. The precarious work situation is contrasted by positively described moments of happiness, which lead YouTubers to continue with their work. The causes of these challenges can be identified as the self-reference of the activity, the isolation and loneliness within the activity. These challenges are reflected as individualized problems. It is less about individual burdens, than rather about media-technological upheavals, socio-economic changes and subjectification of working environments, which have led to the phenomenon that the group as a determining factor is less present in this work, between the individual and the organization.