An exploratory content analysis of comments and thumbnails of YouTube mukbang videos using computational methods

Mukbang continues to thrive on YouTube, originating as a trend but ultimately becoming ingrained in a cultural phenomenon. Nevertheless, the impact of Mukbang on individuals' eating patterns is a subject of debate. Mukbang videos can have negative consequences, such as weight gain and the development of eating disorders. Therefore, it is crucial to comprehend the viewers' perceptions of these videos. This study is exploratory research that utilizes computational methods to analyze comments and investigate the sentiment and emotion of the viewers. The mention of food cravings and YouTuber names is also being observed to find out if people focus on food or the YouTuber while they watch the video. Additionally, the visual attributes of the video thumbnails are examined to explore the visual characteristics of popular Mukbang videos. The results indicate that the dominant sentiment and emotion expressed by the people were 'positive' and 'happiness'. Additionally, the study reveals that the group that mentions craving or YouTubers showed a distinct sentiment from the group that does not. Visual analysis revealed that common characteristics observed in popular Mukbang videos include the use of warm colors and the inclusion of a person's face in their thumbnails.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Arts

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Advertising

Grantor

The University of Texas at Austin

Year dc:date.issued

2024

Author dc:creator

• Kim, Hyun Ji, M.A.

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Love, Brad (Ph. D. in media and information studies)

Committee member dc:contributor.committeemember

• Jihye Lee

• Mukbang
• Computational methods
• GPT
• Text analysis

Identifier URI

https://doi.org/10.26153/tsw/52658

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:repositories.lib.utexas.edu:2152/126119