'Augmented' media education for interaction and participation in virtual environments. The study of a Pokemon Go YouTube channel

Considering the many digital culture products, the virtual communities generated around them, and their potential as informal education agents, in this study we try to define the predominant type of relations and interactions within the community created around Pokémon Go, and we do it by focusing on the fan-community of one of their most visible heads: Youtuber Gangsta. His eight most-watched videos and the reactions of users are analyzed. Our methodology is based on the Computer-mediated Communication, on the Computer-mediated discourse analysis and the quantitative approach “coding & counting”. The results show the economic benefit as the main objective of the youtuber, who shows no interest for truthful information; and the lack of meaningful participation of users whose comments increase considerably in response to the clickbaits. The enormous quantity and poor quality of interactions of citizens on the Internet requires an “augmented” media education, covering the real and virtual worlds, a media education that contributes to the betterment of society, to a more just world.