Online Safety Videos in Youtube: Typology and Persuasive Techniques

YouTube videos have been shown to be effective instruments that raise awareness, educate society, and change individual, organization, community and society behavior and attitudes. Many governments and organizations have utilized YouTube videos to promote online safety among children and youth. However, we have limited understanding of the range of topics that these videos address and how they present their content to audiences. To address this gap, our study conducted a content analysis of 176 YouTube videos on online safety. This analysis aimed to identify the topics in these videos and the persuasive framing elements employed. The findings highlight that the primary focus of these videos is on general online hygiene and safety behaviors. Interestingly, nearly half of the videos employ a neutral frame, while a significant portion provide no evidential support. This research offers valuable theoretical and practical implications, providing insights for both researchers and content producers in online safety education.