Precarização estrutural na produção de conteúdo: análise do trabalho de VTubers

Abstract

Content production for sociodigital networks is one of the most influential professions today. It is a platformized type of work, connected to the structural precarization of labor worldwide, and plays a crucial role in the contemporary communication industry in the circulation of products and services, thereby expanding capital. In recent years, Vtubing — a specific form of content production that combines new technologies, cultural aspects, and organizational models from Japan — has been dominating social media. Through netnography and content analysis, this study investigated the unique aspects of these performances, which include anonymity, the mediation of performances through characters, immersion in a culture of idolatry, and the control of work by talent agencies. As results, it was revealed that Vtubing presents precarious aspects in relation to traditional content production, due to the depersonalization of the content creator, the replacement of human components with non-human ones in performance, the establishment of obsessive parasocial relationships with fans, and the exploitation and loss of control of their intellectual properties to companies.