This document summarizes a study that used webometric analysis to examine the network diffusion of the Kpop song "Gangnam Style" on YouTube. The study analyzed over 1,000 comments to understand the actors involved, their networks and interactions, and sentiments expressed. Key findings include that the majority of commenters were young males from North America and Europe. Interactions occurred among a small group of highly engaged users, while most only subscribed. Commenters discussed Korean culture and media. Users from cultures more similar to Korean culture expressed more positive sentiments toward the song. The study provides a webometric approach for understanding cultural diffusion evaluation stages on YouTube.
The Networked Cultural Diffusion of Kpop on YouTube
1. The Networked Cultural Diffusion of Kpop
A webometric approach to examine actors, networks and content in
YouTube-based diffusion
• Weiai (Wayne) Xu, PhD Candidate, Department of Communication, SUNY-Buffalo
• Ji Young Park, Interdisciplinary Program of East Asian Cultural Studies, YeungNam University
• Jiyoung Kim, Cyber Emotions Research Center, YeungNam University
• Dr. Han Woo Park, Department of Media and Communication, YeungNam University
5. RQs
Question 1: What are the demographic and behavioral characteristics of the
actors in YouTube-based cultural diffusions?
Question 2: What are the characteristics of peer interactions and shared interest
among the actors in YouTube-based cultural diffusions?
Question 3: What opinions are expressed by the actors in their evaluation of a
cultural offering on YouTube?
6. Methods
Profile analysis: gender, age and cultural identity (using location as a proxy
measure)
Network analysis: mutual-subscription networks (MSNs) and commentary
networks (CN)
Content analysis: Sentiment (using SentiStrength) and semantics
7. Data collection
• We used the API-based analysis program Webometric Analyst 2.0
to download 1,000 comments posted to Psy’s Gangnam style
video in August 2012 (a month after the initial release of the video)
• The sample has 983 valid comments contributed by 534 users
• 93,884 total comments at the time of data-collection
8. Findings - Actors
• 69% commenters are males
• The average age: 23.5
• U.S. (47%), UK (7%), Canada (7%), Korea (4%), Netherlands
(3%)…
10. Findings - Network
Actors by top centrality
User IDs
Incoming
replies
Outgoing
replies
Incoming
repliers
Outgoing
repliers
Age Gender Location
Argo*** 86 42 28 15 35 M US
Julius Vil*** 42 12 18 6 N.A. N.A. N.A.
jackie chan*** 30 4 14 2 N.A. N.A. N.A.
Neuron*** 22 4 9 2 N.A. M US
**** 20 24 10 9 N.A. N.A. N.A.
TheSocklessMon*** 18 14 6 5 N.A. M US
DarealRadexHE*** 16 6 4 2 28 M PL
Hinata*** 16 2 8 1 14 F ES
Gamink*** 16 6 8 3 N.A. M CA
11. Findings - Network
Network variations along user characteristics
• Based on peer interactions (CN), male commenters were more likely to
have continuous discussions than female commenters.
• Commenters in their twenties were most likely to participate in peer
interactions (i.e. replying to comments), followed by those in their teens
and younger, thirties, and forties and older.
• Based on mutual interest (MSN), there was a greater overlap in topical
interests for male commenters than for female commenters.
• The overlap in topic interests was most prominent among those in their
twenties and teens and younger.
12. Findings - Network
Most subscribed YouTube channels by the commenters
# of subscribers Channels Characteristics
5460 NIGAH*** reaction videos on various topics
3486 FREDD*** active and peculiar videos
3321 SM*** To gag and be critical
2775 RAYWILLIAMJOHN*** Comic books and hip-hop music
2346 BIGB*** Official BIGBANG YouTube channel
2016 2NE1 Official 2NE1 YouTube channel
1711 EPICMEALT*** Criticisms about high-calorie foods
1711 KEVJU***
Being sociable and uploading videos about jokes
and school problems
1596 SMTOWN Official SMTOWN YouTube channel
1378 FPSRUS*** Guns and explosives
1225 MACHIN***
The premier global video entertainment network for
gamers featuring gameplay videos, trailers, original
series, and live streams, among others
1225 YGENTERTAINMENT Official YG Entertainment YouTube channel
13. Findings - Content
Semantic network
There was a frequent
mention of cultural and
geographic terms such
as Korea (392) and
Japan (465). Korean
figures and organizations
were among those terms
most frequently
mentioned, including
Hyuna (a Kpop artist
appearing in the GS
video) and YG (a Psy-
affiliated firm)
14. Findings - Content
Sentiment
• Sentiment strength was measured on a scale from -5 to 5, with 5 indicating extremely
positive attitudes, whereas -5, extremely negative sentiments.
• Comments with moderately favorable views (+3 and +2) outnumbered those with
moderately unfavorable ones (-3 and -2) by about 100.
Sentiment 1 2 3 4 5
Positive 566 252 138 10 1
Negative 626 151 114 67 9
Note: N=967.
15. Findings - Content
Sentiment variations by user characteristics
• The more culturally distant from Korea in terms of power distance, the less
likely the positive sentiment toward the GS.
• The more dissimilar the country to Korea in terms of both individualism and
masculinity, the more likely the negative comment.
16. Insights in Summary
• The actors in the diffusion of the GS video were young YouTube users
living in North America and Europe.
• Interactions flowed between a small set of users, and most users
represented a silent majority who only subscribed to the video
channel but did not interact with other users.
• Commenters were interested in the cultural origin of the video and
related media content to the broader national and cultural image of a
foreign country
• Users whose cultural background is similar to Korean culture are
more likely to favor GS video.
17. The Big Picture
• The theoretical contribution: connecting a webometric approach to the
study of innovators and early adopters in the evaluation stage of
cultural diffusion.
• The methodological contribution: integrating multiple webometric
approaches (social network analysis, semantic analysis and
sentiment analysis) to address three elements in diffusion (actors,
relationship and content)
