YouTube: exploring the coexistence of entertainment and learning

ABSTRACT This article aims to understand how the conceptions of high school students influence social representations of YouTube as a means of acquiring knowledge in educational environments. The qualitative research involved 31 students, who answered a Word-Association Test (WAT) and a questionnaire about the use of YouTube in education. Data were analyzed using prototypical analysis, similitude analysis and descending hierarchical classification (DHC). The results revealed that students mainly associate YouTube with entertainment, with music, videos and gameplay. Although they also perceive its potential as a study tool, this view is secondary. The channels most accessed by students are adapted to the young public, facilitating the understanding of contents. In summary, students see YouTube as an entertainment platform where learning can happen incidentally, due to the language of the videos.