*Corresponding author: <utalukder@mcj.ku.ac.bd> DOI: https://doi.org/10.53808/KUS.SI.2023.ICSSI48-ss Khulna University Studies Special Issue ICSSI: 68-75: 2023 Copyright©Khulna University ANALYSIS OF VIEWERS' COMMENTS ON A VIRAL VIDEO ON YOUTUBE Md. Uzzal Talukder * Mass Communication and Journalism Discipline, Khulna University, Khulna 9208, Bangladesh KUS: ICSSI 48 Manuscript submitted: April 10, 2023 Accepted: September 21, 2023 Abstract YouTube is a medium for two-way communication, where a variety of videos are shared on social media every day. Viewers are making various videos viral by sharing on social media and those videos are also becoming the focus of discussion at the national and international levels. In this study, the comments on YouTube have been investigated to understand the viewer’s opinion, ideology and their thinking. Active audience theory has been used as the theoretical framework of the study. The study has been conducted by the discourse analysis method. As a sample of the qualitative research, a viral video is selected by purposive sampling from YouTube and all comments (N=365) of the viewers have been analyzed from the YouTube comment box. The results of the study show that viewers have responded extensively to the viral video and the issues. Some comments are very informative which create a huge meaning for thinking and learning and show many unknown and hidden issues which are not directly available in the video. In the comment box, viewers post some data visual evidence to prove their argument and sometimes share an information source. Most of the comments are in Bangla, but there are also comments in English sentences using English words. There are memes, photos, data visual, screenshots, other video links, and Emoji which shows emotion like anger, and sarcasm in the comments. The average word count of the comment is one to three words. But the word count of the meaningful comment is 10-20 words. Viewers provide comments on the entire video, focus on specific parts and related issues, or sometimes even comment on irrelevant matters using slang and meaningless words; considering those issues, commenters are divided into three categories. Below the video, the light and deep natures of comments have been found in the comment box. It is essential to understand the natures of comments and viewers in order to prevent disinformation and misinformation. Recently, social media has witnessed an increase in rumors, hatred, and bullying through comments, and such comments should be minimized to promote a decent and more positive society. Keywords: Comment analysis, Youtube video, Viral, Social media Introduction Many prevailing notions of the mass media have changed with the advancement of social media. Social media is used by 2.4 billion people around the world and has fast become one of the defining technologies of recent times (Ortiz-Ospina & Roser, 2023). Social media has evolved over the last decade to become an important driver for acquiring and spreading information in different domains, such as business, entertainment, science, crisis management, and politics (Stieglitz et al., 2018). At present, the audience has a big role to play in creating the content of the media, and its significance. Many times these videos or discussions of the viewers on social media have a huge positive or negative impact on society. The impact of a viral video and its accompanying comments can be significant in both a global and local context. The popularity of a viral video can make it a topic of discussion at the national and international levels, bringing attention to the issues it raises. In recent years, Bangladesh has witnessed the proliferation of viral videos, drawing viewers to the comment section. These comments represent a new social phenomenon that offers insights into society. While mainstream media had limited opportunities to engage with their audience, social media's two-way communication system has exposed a unique aspect (Chaffee & Metzger, 2001). ORIGINAL ARTICLE SOCIAL SCIENCE