Building Optimism Through Inspirational YouTube Videos During the Pandemic: An Empirical Examination

This article presents the results of content categorisation and measurement of the effects of YouTube videos released publicly by commercial entities during the pandemic. The videos in question contain inspirational content concerning prosocial behaviour in response to COVID-19 and are released through the big companies’ official YouTube accounts. In the first study, the authors analysed the content of videos from various companies. While the videos encompassed different presentations of actions taken and messages expressing optimism, those that conveyed empathetic communication and human values were predominantly featured. We categorised the findings into action-oriented, human values–oriented and empathic-oriented content for the selection of videos in the subsequent study. In the subsequent experimental study, aimed at understanding the effects, we asked participants to watch and evaluate the videos selected from the initial study. The results demonstrated that empathic-oriented content had the highest impact on individuals, leading to increases in five measures of inspiration: aspiring to become a better person, engaging in acts of kindness towards others, seeking what truly matters in life, striving to live a more fulfilling life and aligning personal goals.