User-generated content is a key concept within media, communication, and information studies, referring to any form of content, such as text, images, audio, or video, created and made publicly available by end-users of online platforms or services. This concept investigates the production, dissemination, and impact of digital media artifacts originating from non-professional sources, characterized by a requisite level of creative effort, public accessibility, and production outside traditional institutional or commercial frameworks, signifying a fundamental shift in media production paradigms and communication research foci.