The Mediatization of Self-Tracking
January 2022
in “
MedieKultur: Journal of Media and Communication Research
”
TLDR YouTube is changing the way health-related advice is shared, altering traditional roles of experts and patients.
The article "The mediatization of self-tracking" by Tobias Raun and Michael Nebeling Petersen explores a group of men using Minoxidil and Finasteride for beard and hair growth, documenting their journey on YouTube. The authors argue that digital platforms like YouTube are altering the traditional roles of expert and patient in health-related discussions and practices. They introduce a model categorizing knowledge production as either expert or practitioner, and community formation as either community member or community leader. This model could be applied to various self-tracking communities that use audiovisual media to share their experiences.