Another YouTube trend rushes by without understanding. What exactly is the fascination with unboxing videos?
The internet is full of crap. Especially YouTube. These “Just a prank!” videos, where people accidentally break their arms or destroy the belongings of others, really get on my nerves. Just like those wonderful “challenges” where you either do nothing (Mannequin Challenge) or throw your life away (“Set yourself on fire” challenge).
In the last few months, however, YouTube has increasingly been recommending videos from another trend that is almost as silly but twice as boring: unboxing videos.
With some unboxing videos, I can at least understand a small basic interest. When it’s about those “loot boxes” or any other boxes with “random” contents, there’s at least a small factor of suspense involved.
But in all other areas? I just don’t get it.
“Hi, hello and welcome to my unboxing of my new PlayStation 4 Pro!”
I furrow my brow. So much that I probably look two decades older. The overly enthusiastic guy unboxes the box as if a wild animal is sleeping inside that must not be awakened. But then comes the kicker! Would you have guessed it? In the box that says “PlayStation 4 Pro” on it, there’s actually a PlayStation 4 Pro inside! To ensure that my tears of joy don’t flood the living room directly, I skip a bit in the video. Who would have thought: In addition to the console, there’s also a power cable included in the package! And – now comes the highlight – the cable also fits into the PlayStation without any problems! One might almost think that Sony planned the contents of this packaging.
Jokes aside. I don’t get it. I consider myself quite good at empathizing with other people and understanding their point of view, but when it comes to unboxing videos, my empathy meter goes into the negative.
If I tell my grandmother what is currently trendy “on this internet” and I say to her, “People like to watch how other people unbox things,” she shakes her head and says: “They are all not quite sane.” And for the first time regarding the internet, I have to say: You are right, grandma.
Can someone explain to me the fascination with these boring videos, where people open a damn box to show their purchased goods? It just doesn’t register in my mind. Maybe I’m overlooking a crucial point – so please enlighten me.
Last week we talked about whether there should be an internet driver’s license against trolls.
