What do popular YouTube videos say about genetically modified foods? A content analysis

YouTube is one of the most popular media sharing platforms that facilitates both professionals and lay people to participate in dissemination of knowledge and opinions. Its wide-reaching impact allows both top-down and bottom-up flow of information between experts and lay audience. With a vast proportion of Americans obtaining health-related information digitally, the purpose of this study was to describe the content of 100 most viewed YouTube videos in the English language, specific to genetically modified foods (GMFs).

Using the search terms "genetically modified foods" the URLs and metadata for 100 English YouTube videos with the highest viewership were curated. Each video was viewed, and dichotomously coded for the absence or presence of ten content categories. Descriptive statistics, percentages of categorical variables and independent one-tailed t-tests (α=.05) were conducted to assess the statistical effect of the absence or presence of these categories on the number of views and likes garnered by the videos.

Cumulatively, the 100 videos observed received 65,536,885 views and 1,328,605 likes. Only 7% of the videos were created by professionally credentialed individuals or organizations. More than 90% of the sampled videos described GMFs with an example, 50% mentioned their role in alleviating hunger, and 65% mentioned ecological concerns attributed to GMFs.

Our results underscore the need for health professionals to increase their digital presence on online media sharing platforms such as YouTube, and capitalize on its pervasiveness as potential conduits of accurate scientific information to equip consumers make evidence-based, informed decision regarding GMFs.