Evaluating Reaction Videos of Young People Watching Edutainment Media (MTV Shuga): Qualitative Observational Study (Preprint)

BACKGROUND Mass media campaigns, particularly edutainment, are critical in disseminating sexual health information to young people. However, there is limited understanding of the authentic viewing experience or how viewing contexts influence engagement with media campaigns. Reaction videos, a popular format in web-based culture in which users film themselves reacting to television shows, can be adapted as a research method for immediate and unfiltered insights into young people’s engagement with edutainment media. OBJECTIVE We explored how physical and social context influences young people’s engagement with <i>MTV Shuga</i>, a dramatic television series based on sexual health and relationships among individuals aged 15 to 25 years. We trialed reaction videos as a novel research method to investigate how young people in South Africa experience the show, including sexual health themes and messages, in their viewing environments. METHODS In Eastern Cape, in 2020, purposively selected participants aged 18 to 24 years of an evaluation study were invited to take part in further research to video record themselves watching <i>MTV Shuga</i> episodes with their <i>COVID-19 social bubble</i>. To guide the analysis of the visual and audio data, we created a framework to examine the physical setting, group composition, social dynamics, coinciding activities, and viewers’ spoken and unspoken reactions to the show. We identified patterns within and across groups to generate themes about the nature and role of viewing contexts. We also reflected on the utility of the method and analytical framework. RESULTS In total, 8 participants recorded themselves watching <i>MTV Shuga</i> episodes in family or friendship groups. Viewings occurred around a laptop in the home (living room or bedroom) and outside (garden or vehicle). In same-age groups, viewers appeared relaxed, engaging with the content through discussion, comments, empathy, and laughter. Intergenerational groups experienced discomfort, with older relatives’ presence causing embarrassment and younger siblings’ distractions interrupting the engagement. Scenes featuring physical intimacy prompted some viewers to hide their eyes or leave the room. While some would prefer watching <i>MTV Shuga</i> alone to avoid the self-consciousness experienced in group settings, others valued the social experience and the lively discussions it spurred. This illustrates varied preferences for consuming edutainment and the factors influencing these preferences. CONCLUSIONS The use of reaction videos for research captured real-time verbal and nonverbal reactions, physical environments, and social dynamics that other methods cannot easily measure. They revealed how group composition, dynamics, settings, and storylines can maximize engagement with <i>MTV Shuga</i> to enhance HIV prevention education. The presence of parents and the camera may alter young people’s behavior, limiting the authenticity of their viewing experience. Still, reaction videos offer a unique opportunity to understand audience engagement with media interventions and promote participatory digital research with young people.