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Unboxing the trend: Understanding why children watch unboxing videos on YouTube
Journal of Digital & Social Media Marketing,
8
(4),
347-357
(2021)
Abstract
This study aims to understand the phenomenon of unboxing videos that are especially popular within the children’s segment of online media. It contributes to the extant literature by probing why children consume unboxing videos and by elucidating the perceptions generated by their viewing. The study takes a qualitative approach to comprehend this phenomenon. To this end, 20 in-depth interviews were conducted with children aged between 8 and 12. Analysis of these interviews suggests that children are motivated by entertainment, information seeking, curiosity and social influence when they consume the content of unboxing videos. The outcomes of the study bolster the scholarly discourse on children and social media usage by illuminating particular aspects of this rising trend in the online habits of youngsters. Further, the results may also help marketers to create unboxing videos that effectively deliver the satisfaction sought by children who consume such media content. Finally, this study adds to the extant literature on children and social media through its intensive attention on one aspect of their online interests and practices.
Keywords: children and social media; YouTube marketing; unboxing videos; uses and gratifications
The full article is available to subscribers to the journal.
Author's Biography
Teresa Treviño is Associate Professor of Marketing at Universidad de Monterrey. She holds a PhD in management sciences and a master’s degree in marketing from the EGADE Business School, Tecnológico de Monterrey. Her research interests focus on online consumer behaviour and digital marketing, specifically consumer–brand relationships on the internet; the motivations of different online segments, regarding social media; uses and gratifications relating to social media; electronic word-of-mouth; and the impact of online marketing strategies on consumers. She is currently a member of Mexico’s National Researchers System.
