Análisis de la cultura participativa del Fandom de Juan Guarnizo

Abstract

This article thoroughly analyzes the participatory culture within influencer Juan Guarnizo's fandom across digital platforms. Conceptually, the fandom was framed within Henry Jenkins' notion of participatory culture, where fans take on a proactive role in content creation, circulation and management. This allowed examining the interactions between the influencer and his followers on platforms such as Twitch, YouTube, Instagram and Discord. The methodology consisted of an exploratory qualitative approach, with content analysis on virtual platforms. To capture the dynamics of participation, a matrix was designed to help analyze categories such as themes, formats, language and types of interaction. The results reveal distinctive features of this participatory culture, from multimedia formats to the colloquial language used among them and the influencer. It is interpreted how fans have a dynamic role in content creation and strengthening the virtual community. The fandom's participation is crucial both to expand the content creator's influence and to meet the socioemotional needs of young followers. This participatory culture around the streamer manages to meet fans' needs for virtual socialization and creative expression. By getting involved in the community, they find a strong sense of validation and belonging, derived from sharing affinities and common interests. This study highlighted the complex dynamics and multidimensional impacts that the emerging phenomenon of participatory culture entails in the context of influencers and streamers. The analyzed dynamics are reconfiguring forms of socialization and creative identity of young people in the digital environment.