Abstract:

The Polish vlogosphere (entirety of vlogs and their creators on the YouTube platform) is developing very dynamically. It even promoted its "stars" and influencers, but so far remains on the margins of research area of social communication and the media. Video blogs have become an important opinion-forming medium for young Poles. Video content creators inspire, set trends, help develop passions, increase consumer awareness, and promote knowledge and education as well as various social initiatives. Adaptation of ethnographic research method to the online world (netnography) allows the study of virtual vlogger communities and their recipients in their natural environment. If we assume that the Internet becomes such an environment (or already is - especially for the youngest generations) then observing the behavior that take place in the virtual space should be considered fully justified.

Netnography may include variety of study tools, including survey methods, in-depth individual and group interviews (focuses), analysis of social networks, observation and ethnographic studies based on the interpretation of behavior observed in the natural environment. Since the Internet is the natural environment for vloggers, interesting field observations and analyses can be made there.

The usefulness of netnography in studying the environment of Polish vloggers is based on the richness and diversity of the components of this method, as well as on the possibility of participative observation by "entering the field".

Netnographic research of the Polish YouTube vlogosphere will allow answering to the following questions:
- What strategies of self-presentation and self-expression are used by vloggers?
- What is the nature of vlogger’s creativity – does it serve only to attract the attention of recipients or is it used to produce innovative and original messages?
- How do vloggers communicate with their viewers?
- Does the behavior of recipients affect the success and popularity of vloggers?

Keywords:

Research, social media, innovation in education, netnography.