Motivations and Stake Management in Producing YouTube 'Bro-Science' Videos for Baldness Treatment

The document from 2018 analyzed 72 YouTube 'bro-science' videos to understand the motivations behind creating and sharing content on baldness treatments. The creators were motivated by a sense of compulsion, desire to communicate product benefits, intention to share research, and wish to share personal experiences. They aimed to persuade viewers by demonstrating authenticity and managing potential accusations of vested interest, often by disavowing financial interest or admitting to a small commission for transparency. The study found that these videos serve a rhetorical function, creating a community around shared problems and solutions, and contributing to a shift in the traditional physician-patient relationship. The presence of commercial elements was noted to impact perceived trustworthiness, and the study suggested that the gendered nature of 'bro-science' may require further investigation.