I was in a session about a year ago when a mother asked me if I had heard of the “latest thing that all the kids these days are watching on YouTube.” I’ve heard of some weird stuff, but what she was telling me about did sound pretty odd - the latest craze she was referring to? Kids watching other kids (or adults) open up toys in boxes and packaging.

For. Hours. On. End.

While such videos seemed pointless to me, I kept an open mind and watched a few. After 10 minutes, I started to understand the obsession. The presenters are incredibly enthusiastic (there is SO MUCH COO’ing), and there’s something really satisfying about watching people open up packages (in a lot of these videos, the package opening happens in a really careful and systematic way). Plus, these videos are a bit like window shopping - you get to see everything all shiny and new and it all looks so tempting and attractive.

Well, a recent study out of my alma mater, CU Boulder, suggests that these videos, unsurprisingly, are not good for your kids. These videos are, after all, a clear reminder of the haves and the haves not:

https://www.colorado.edu/today/2019/12/03/unboxing-videos-fueling-kids-tantrums-breeding-consumerism

I’ve also heard some parents say they have found some toy opening videos that initially seem innocuous but then cut halfway through to really disturbing/frightening content. I have no idea why people would want to do that, but it’s all the more reason to monitor what your kids are watching, however innocent it may seem.