Academic Scientific JournalsEducational Potential and Rhetoric of Cryptocurrency Influencers in Social Media
Keywords:
media education, financial literacy, cryptocurrency, influencers, young adults, media analysis, digital educationAbstract
The article explores how cryptocurrency influencers construct educational and emotional narratives and how these affect young adults’ understanding of financial knowledge. Research questions: (1) What is the educational value of influencer content on major platforms (YouTube, X [formerly Twitter], TikTok, LinkedIn)? (2) How does rhetorical style correlate with audience reach? (3) What types of audience interactions (emotional, factual, reflective) dominate in digital financial education?
A mixed-methods design was applied, combining qualitative and quantitative content analysis of 87 units (65 videos and 22 profiles) and 1,710 user comments. The study used a custom coding sheet (A–G) and the Educational Value Score (EVS), alongside a three-level comment classification (F1–F3).
The results indicate that the average EVS was 6.2 (0–10) and the average reach was 8.7%. TikTok had the greatest reach, while X had the highest substantive content (EVS = 7.3). In the joint analysis (N = 87), no significant relationship was found between educational value and reach. However, in the analysis at the YouTube profile level (N = 11), a strong negative correlation between EVS and reach was observed (r = –0.823, p = .001).
Originality lies in integrating EVS metrics with audience-comment typology (F1–F3), revealing the interplay between affect, reach, and cognitive depth in edu-financial communication.
The study concludes that effective media-financial education must combine cognitive, emotional, and critical-thinking dimensions to foster interpretive resilience among young audiences in algorithmic environments.
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