Work

Toy Unboxing Videos and the Mimetic Production of Play

Year: 2017

Type: conference-paper

Abstract: The paper analyses the role of young children in YouTube toy unboxing videos, where children and adults unbox various commercial toys and discuss, play, or perform narratives with them. Drawing on a content analysis approach, the paper shows how child “amateur” unboxers mimic the production and branding strategies of more “professional” channels, whilst in turn “professional” channels seek to produce a semblance of playful amateur authenticity. The paper approaches these practices through the lens of mimesis as it is understood in the critical literature around children’s play and participatory digital culture.

Source: Minerva Access (University of Melbourne)

Authors: Bjørn Nansen, Benjamin Nicoll

Language: English

Topic: Media and Digital Communication

Subfield: Communication

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

Open Access status: green

OpenAlex ID: W3034620357

FWCI: 1.66

Cites:

Cited by: 6

Related to: 10