Exploring the relationships between K-pop fans' identities and media consumption in web 2.0 era

Abstract

With the easier and wider diffusion of media content from different cultures on web 2.0 platforms like YouTube, Korean Pop music has gained greater global popularity due to the emergence of participatory culture. The current study explores how global K-pop fans' consumption of UGC (user-generated content) and PGC (professional-generated content) is associated with fan motivations, identifications, and UGC creating intention. By utilizing a survey study framework and quantitative research and data gathered from K-pop fans (N = 247) from social media, the study shows that self-esteem, group-affiliation and aesthetic were the strongest motivations of K-pop two types of fan identification (fanship and fandom) and video consumption (UGC and PGC). Fans' fanship level is more associated with their consumption of PGC whereas fan community identification level is more associated with their consumption of UGC. Both fanship level and UGC consumption have positive effects on fans' intention of creating UGC. This study provides added value for fan psychology studies in pop culture context, and also offers practical advice for entertainment companies on the leverage of PGC and UGC videos to enhance fans' psychological connection to their celebrities and communities.