Exploring the Impact of Video Content Creation on Career Aspirations in Montreal's University Students

Researcher

Master of Arts in Education and Society, Department of Integrated Studies in Education, McGill University.

Title of Project

From Screen to Dream: Exploring the Impact of Video Content Creation on Career Aspirations in Montreal's University Students

Purpose of the Study

This is an invitation to participate in a research study which I am undertaking as part of my Master of Arts in Education and Society program at McGill University. My study aims to investigate the motivations of university students in Montreal who are involved in creating video content on social media with a particular focus on its viability as a potential career. It seeks to understand the driving forces behind students' involvement in pursuing video content creation.

Contents

Introduction

Background

Social media and video content creation have become integral aspects of modern communication and entertainment. This integration not only offers new career opportunities but also provides valuable insights into how young people shape their future professions through these platforms. To explore the motivations of Montreal's university students engaged in video content creation on social media, especially regarding its potential as a career path, our project conducted semi-structured interviews with six video creators from different universities in Montreal.

Researh Question

What are the motivations driving Montreal's university students to engage in video content creation on social media platforms as a potential career path?

Related Work

Literature source	Daugherty et al. (2008)	Bi and Tang (2020)	Buf and Ștefăniță (2020)	Hoose and Rosenbohm (2023)
Location of data	Internet	China	Romania	Germany
Self-expression as a motivation factor	Major	Major	Major	Major
Emotional control as a motivation factor	Non-major	Major	NA	NA
Economic benefit as a motivation factor	Non-major	Major	Non-major	NA
Social recognition and validation as a motivation factor	Major	NA	Major	NA

Daugherty, T., Eastin, M. S., & Bright, L. F. (2008). Exploring consumer Motivations for creating User-Generated Content. Journal of Interactive Advertising, 8(2), 16–25.

Bi, X., & Tang, C. (2020). Research on the motives affecting the behavior of short video’s creators. IEEE Access, 8, 188415–188428.

Buf, D., & Ștefăniță, O. (2020). Uses and gratifications of YouTube: A comparative analysis of users and content creators. Romanian Journal of Communication and Public Relations, 22(2), 75–89.

Hoose, F., & Rosenbohm, S. (2023). Self-representation as platform work: Stories about working as social media content creators. Convergence.

Methodology

Research Method

Semi-structured interviews with open-ended questions, covering diverse aspects such as demographics, motivations for video content creation, and participants' career aspirations.

Interview Questions

Participants

Some students are chosen for the interview. Participants are offered the opportunity to provide consent for one-on-one, semi-structured interviews conducted through Zoom, each lasting approximately 30-60 minutes.

Findings & Discussion

Motivation

- Self-expression
- Emotional control
- Social recognition and validation
- Community building
- Education and tutorial
- Economic benefit
- Storytelling

Perception of Success

The Impact of Social Media Recognition on Perceived Success
Social recognition significantly shapes university students’ perceptions of success.

Success in Video Content Creation vs. Success in Traditional Fields
Perspectives vary.

Career Aspirations

Montreal’s university students reveal a reluctance to pursue full-time roles as video content creators. Economic incentives were not the main driving force behind their participation.

Limitations

- Our interview participants did not include individuals from queer and BIPOC communities, which introduces a limitation in the diversity of representation.
- Given that video content creation is a digital activity with global reach, cultural and background differences may influence the study outcomes.

Conclusion

Motivation

University students in Montreal are chiefly motivated to produce video content on social media platforms for reasons such as self-expression, emotional control, and seeking social recognition and validation. Economic benefits were not cited as a significant motivator for their video creation endeavors. Community building emerged as a prominent motivation among all participants, fostering a sense of connection and loyalty within their respective audiences. Education and tutorial content served as motivators for some students, as they utilized social media to share knowledge and experiences. Storytelling also emerged as a significant motivation factor, allowing students to engage and captivate their audience while sharing unique narratives and insights.

Perception of Success & Career Aspirations

Social recognition significantly shapes university students' perceptions of success. When comparing success in video creation to traditional paths, perspectives vary. University students in Montreal perceive video creation as supplementary to their primary occupations, considering factors such as income stability and personal aspirations.

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