Do you read comments? The appeal of user

generated comments on a video-sharing site

Laeeq KhanMichigan State University

Convergence, Las VegasFriday, October 25th, 2013

Introduction Engagement with media on a range of interactive

platforms

Commenting provides users with unprecedented opportunities to participate

Comments an important element of Web 2.0

Are available to read to a vast number of readers, having the potential to impact user perceptions

What they say

Do you read comments?

If yes, why?

Theoretical Foundation

Uses & Gratifications -- Understanding why and how individuals seek out specific media to satisfy specific needs (Ruggiero, 2000).

What needs & goals motivate individuals to consume media?

4

Methods Online Survey

Students (n=1512) at a large mid-western university

Understanding user behavior on a video-sharing site (YouTube)

Data Cleaning Descriptives Linear Regressions

6

Gender and Race

Female

63%

Male37%

Caucasian

Asian

African American

Hispanic

Native American

Mixed

0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1

7

YouTube Visit Frequency

Once a month or less

Once a week or less

Several times a week

Once Ev-eryday

Several times a day

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

50%

7%

21%

42%

11%

20%

Regression

Regression Results Users’ comment reading behavior was

predicted by: the frequency of site visit

writing comments

information seeking

entertainment

Adjusted R-square of 0.316

Key Findings Individuals read comments

Avid social media users are more likely to read comments

Information seeking and Entertainment stand out as main motives of reading comments

Future Work

Extending the work to other social and news media platforms

Understanding how reading comments impacts user perceptions

Thank you!