Reaction video. Nuove forme estetiche, tra identificazione e consumo delle emozioni = Reaction videos. New aesthetic forms between identification and consumption of emotions

Abstract

This article shares the preliminary results of a larger research study that explores the main forms of appearence of so-called reaction videos and the motives for their viewing. Based on a thematic analysis of the narratives of experience shared by the participant subjected to the viewing of selected reaction videos within 6 focus groups, we examine how participants define reaction videos, their consumption dynamics, and motives. The research participants' narratives centre around the identification with the reaction of the reactor, according to two main declinations: reaction as a commentary/critique on a specific media content and reaction as an emotional manifestation. The current popularity of reaction videos thus invites us to reconsider the idea of an aesthetic specificity of digital media characterized by agency, i.e. the interactivity of the digital user.