Just click play: A content analysis of YouTubers

This thesis uses Parasocial Interaction Theory (PIT) to examine the popularity of ordinary people who get elevated to stardom through creating content on YouTube. The current research in regards to PIT has yet to study how the theory can expand to encompass the growth of social media and the Internet. The topic of YouTube and the communities found within YouTube is a new phenomenon that should be studied and understood in the academic world. This research posits that through YouTube videos, these creators have made their audiences connect through parasocial interaction and have changed the way researchers should look at PIT. The results show a significant amount of themes present within these YouTubers' videos that are thought to be the recipe for success in gaining optimum parasocial interaction with their audiences. Through these YouTubers' personal lives and their personal experiences and personalities, they have been able to grow a small hobby into a career.