Fan Culture Taking Over: YouTube Study Reveals Gen Z’s Love for Creating Their Own Content
YouTube’s latest trends report paints a picture of a generation that has rejected traditional entertainment and instead, turned to creating their own content. The research reveals that fan culture is driving Gen Z’s fascination with video making, with a staggering 65 percent of the 350 U.S.-based Gen Z respondents describing themselves as “video content creators.”
The study credits this trend to the increasing volume of fan-made content, including recaps, reactions, parodies, and commentary. This shift is largely attributed to fans seeking malleable media that they can freely remix and customize. In fact, 66 percent of Gen Z Americans reportedly spend more time watching content that dissects and analyzes something, rather than consuming the original content.
Social media is playing a significant role in this phenomenon. According to the study, online fandom has become a powerful tool for connecting people across the globe. A stunning 47 percent of Gen Z respondents believe they are part of a fandom where no one they know personally is a member, further solidifying the online realm’s role in shaping fan culture.
A striking aspect of this trend is that fans are not only consuming the content, but also creating it. Eight percent of the respondents surveyed by YouTube earn revenue from their fanship, indicating the power and commercial viability of fan-based content.
A notable example of fan-made analysis is veteran YouTube creator Jenny Nicholson’s video breakdown of Disney’s Star Wars hotel. The four-hour video drew coverage from prestigious outlets like The New York Times, NPR, and Rolling Stone, and has received over eight million views.
The YouTube study was conducted by research firm SmithGeiger, with inputs from KR&I’s Fandom Institute. The research surveyed adults active online, aged 14-44, and defined Gen Z respondents as those between 14 and 24.
As the demand for engaging, interactive, and malleable content continues to surge, it is clear that fan culture will be an essential driver of popular culture in the years to come.
