Antagonism on YouTube: Metaphor in Online Discourse

This book focuses on the ways in which metaphor contributes to the development of Internet arguments, known as ‘drama’, particularly on YouTube. Although a growing body of research into YouTube interaction has developed descriptions of user experience on the site, empirical studies of the YouTube video page and discourse analysis of user interaction are rare. This research specifically focuses on user interaction around issues of Christian theology and atheism on the site, analysing how ‘drama’ emerges. Since YouTube drama occurs publicly, Antagonism on YouTube focuses on video pages rather than user reports of their actions and responses. It investigates how and why YouTube drama develops through a systematic description and analysis of user discourse activity. Through close analysis of video pages, this study contributes to a greater academic understanding of Internet antagonism and YouTube interaction by revealing the factors which contribute to the development of drama over time.