YouTube as a tool for informal learning in adulthood: exploring adult learners’ preferences within the lifelong learning framework

This study examines adults’ preference for YouTube as a tool for informal learning and explores factors contributing to this preference. Understanding how adults engage with digital platforms is essential within lifelong learning, where self-directed and flexible opportunities for knowledge acquisition play a central role. A sample of 302 adults aged 30 to 60 years from Andalusia (Spain) completed a questionnaire assessing perceptions of YouTube’s instrumental and pedagogical value, self-regulation and mediation strategies, and sociodemographic variables including gender, educational level, employment status, age, and frequency of use. Results show that preference for YouTube is strongly associated with subjective variables, particularly perceived usefulness for learning and learners’ ability to manage their own learning processes. In contrast, objective factors such as gender, education, and employment status show no significant relationship with preference. Age displays a slight negative association, while frequency of use shows a modest positive one. Overall, findings suggest that adults’ engagement with YouTube as an informal learning environment is shaped mainly by personal evaluations and self-regulatory capacities rather than demographic characteristics. Recognising these patterns is essential for designing strategies and educational initiatives that promote digital inclusion and support lifelong learning through accessible and meaningful online resources for diverse adult learner communities.