Author(s): Urjani Chakravarty, Gulab Chand and Udaya Narayana Singh
In this paper, we use the Domestication Theory as an approach to study 'Vlogging on YouTube', which is a popular content marketing activity for the current generations. Travel Vlogger couples from all over the world use this digital platform where they shed their inhibition of being outsiders and look at new spaces from a domesticated viewpoint, as it were. The present analysis considers Vlogs from the Spring of 2017 till Spring of 2020, created by 4 couples from three continents whose quality of videos, subscriber base, motivation, quality, and familiarity with the medium were the basis of choice. Methodologically, we will use ‘qualitative observation’ technique here within the parameters of Virtual Ethnography and Content Analysis. The vlogging method connects the viewers to socio-cultural webs of relationship (with locals and each other). The cultural spaces the vloggers cover is exotic and perhaps inexpensive. Each vlogger creates a storyline unique to her or his channel and develops a vlogging style that marks their generational values of defying the norms. An eye for capturing diversity, accepting an alternate lifestyle, and building a culture of dissimilarity are their standard and constant features in these vlogs. The paper highlights the domestication processes here and the skill required to develop such visual texts.