유튜브 추천 알고리즘 개인화가 이용자 온라인 커뮤니케이션에 미치는 영향 : 맞춤화 정보 이용과 선택적 노출 효과를 중심으로

This study examined the relationship between the use of customization and personalization and the type of selective exposure that characterizes the current media information environment and the online expression of opinion by YouTube users. Specifically, this study examined the use of YouTube information from a complex perspective, including whether the use of YouTube algorithmic recommendations increases the phenomenon of selective exposure or leads to cross-cutting exposure to information from different perspectives. In particular, this study did not exclude the customization process as an independent process, but considered that it may occur together with the personalization process, and considered antecedent factors such as YouTube trust and political affiliation. This study showed that the mechanisms by which users express opinions and shape public opinion in the YouTube space operate in a complex manner through multiple pathways and multiple factors. Personalized users, who consumed information mainly from subscribed channels, actively express their opinions by liking and disliking YouTube videos and writing comments. At the same time, users who are accidentally exposed to other-side views through YouTube's recommendation algorithms or who seek out information from perspectives different from their own are also active in commenting and sharing information on social media. Ultimately, this study suggested that in YouTube, where information on various topics and complex perspectives exists, users can be exposed to a variety of videos, whether accidentally or intentionally, and if utilized wisely, it can be made into a public forum to foster knowledgeable citizens in a democratic society. In conclusion, this study provides theoretically and practically significant results by exploring the complex communication mechanisms in the information environment of YouTube, which is different from the existing online media environment. YouTube can be a filter bubble or a new alternative public forum, depending on how users use it. Our findings support the growing importance of YouTube literacy. Specifically, it can be inferred that users who only consume information from subscribed channels are more likely to take active actions based on their trust, loyalty, and internal familiarity with the channel itself rather than the quality of the message. Blindly and passively consuming information on YouTube can lead to echo chambers, filter bubbles, and other phenomena that previous studies have warned about. On the contrary, however, if YouTube's recommendation algorithm personalization allows users to be actively exposed to a variety of information, YouTube may become a meaningful space for democratic public discourse, contrary to existing concerns.