Gender expression in vlogs: a multimodal analysis of vlogs by Malaysian adolescents on YouTube

Vloggers construct a virtual identity of self-representation by sharing experiences and connecting with others on vlogs which are short films where creators discuss or display their lives to an audience. However, little is known about gender expression on these leisure platforms. Our study addressed this knowledge gap by examining vloggers’ gender expression and the extent the expressions reinforce gender stereotypes. A detailed analysis of two vlogs from 2023 sampled from Malaysian adolescent vloggers on YouTube was guided by Lakoff’s [(1973). Language and woman’s place. Language in Society, 2(1), 45–80] theory of women’s language and Kress’ [(2010). Multimodality: A social semiotic approach to contemporary communication. Routledge] social semiotic approach in a complementary manner. Lakoff’s theory guided our analysis of language use while Kress informed the analysis of visuals in vlogs such as body language, on-screen visual effects, camera angles and positions. The bi-focal multimodal analysis aims to explicate how male and female Malaysian vloggers express gender through language and visuals. In addition to underlining gender identity portrayal in YouTube vlogs which are significant digital media in leisure in the current decade, the implications of the study discuss if linguistic and visual analytical approaches can be reconciled to provide insights otherwise unachievable by traditional means.

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