Paper short abstract:

My paper explores how the spectacle-inducing representations of Africa by Euro-Americans have influenced the digital content of non-African Youtubers. Through selected videos, I critique the narrative techniques of non-African Youtubers and provide examples of ethical storytelling practices.

Paper long abstract:

In today’s world of digital storytelling, YouTube has become an important space for the world to experience diverse cultures and imagine the lived experiences of people in different countries. Travel vloggers armed with a camera, a global passport, and thousands of dollars to travel the world often provide digital access for their global audience. As they journey through the world, their narrative arc changes when they travel to African countries. With phrases like “dangerous adventure!” and images of landscapes that do not define the reality of millions of Africans, they inform their audience of their journey to the “dark continent”. This romanticized and poverty-focused storytelling approach is quite familiar and follows a history of the spectacle-focused image of Africa for the aim of profit. The capitalist intention behind these YouTube videos can be traced to the Colonial Exhibitions that ravaged the 20th century. During exhibitions at Wembley, Glasgow, etc., Africa was presented as a pristine space with untouched beauty. African arts and cultures were represented as a #throwback to Euro-American civilizations and Africa was marketed as a colonial space with cheap labor—an aspirational abode for lower-class Europeans. Lastly, these exhibitions placed a strong emphasis on trade and profit.

My paper, therefore, explores how the spectacle-inducing representations of Africa (with a focus on Nigeria) from EuroAmerican perspectives have influenced the digital contents of non-African Youtubers. Through selected videos, I critique the narrative techniques of non-African Youtubers and end with examples of ethical storytelling practices from Nigerians on digital spaces.