An analytical and experimental study of the energy transition discourse on YouTube

Fuente: arXiv
Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Bassolas, Aleix, Birello, Piero, Vicens, Julian
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
Subjects:
Online Access:
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1866915628703547392
author Bassolas, Aleix
Birello, Piero
Vicens, Julian
author_facet Bassolas, Aleix
Birello, Piero
Vicens, Julian
contents Energy production and management face significant political, economic, and environmental challenges, yet the rise in information consumption through social media undermines the availability of reliable knowledge to the general public. This study examines the ideas discussed in the energy transition content on YouTube, assesses the most effective methods of communicating knowledge and information to the general public, and identifies the most engaged audiences. We examine videos related to the subject, analysing the themes discussed, the language used, and the emotions conveyed on YouTube, linking language formality to user engagement. To test the relationship experimentally, we uploaded original content to YouTube through two mirror channels containing the same material but using different levels of language formality. Our results indicate that conversational content reaches a broader audience, but retention rates are higher on the academic channel beyond the initial video segments. Interest in the topic varies by viewer profile, with younger individuals and women showing greater engagement regardless of language style.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2511_16497
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle An analytical and experimental study of the energy transition discourse on YouTube
Bassolas, Aleix
Birello, Piero
Vicens, Julian
Physics and Society
Energy production and management face significant political, economic, and environmental challenges, yet the rise in information consumption through social media undermines the availability of reliable knowledge to the general public. This study examines the ideas discussed in the energy transition content on YouTube, assesses the most effective methods of communicating knowledge and information to the general public, and identifies the most engaged audiences. We examine videos related to the subject, analysing the themes discussed, the language used, and the emotions conveyed on YouTube, linking language formality to user engagement. To test the relationship experimentally, we uploaded original content to YouTube through two mirror channels containing the same material but using different levels of language formality. Our results indicate that conversational content reaches a broader audience, but retention rates are higher on the academic channel beyond the initial video segments. Interest in the topic varies by viewer profile, with younger individuals and women showing greater engagement regardless of language style.
title An analytical and experimental study of the energy transition discourse on YouTube
topic Physics and Society
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.16497