Debating Communities and Networks XVI

Consumption

Unboxing Identity: Blind Box Toys as a Tool for Self-Expression in Online Platforms

Posted on

27/04/2025

by

hazelr

Abstract With the rise of user-generated content through social media, the sharing of diverse interests has led to various online communities that different users resonate with. Among these interests are blind boxes, which refer to toy collectibles sold in sealed packaging that conceal the specific item or design the consumer will receive. Blind boxes have…
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Communities and Social Media, Identity and Online Advocacy

Communities, community, Consumption, Identity, Influencers, Instagram, k-pop, Self-expression, Social Media, tiktok, toys
Instagram’s deinfluencing and its effectiveness in endorsing a sustainable living

Posted on

23/04/2025

by

Aparna

Abstract This paper explores how Instagram’s deinfluencers started important conversations on sustainable living through their engagement in the platform, and it is identified that even though this kind of advocacy reflected a growing trend towards sustainability, it gradually turned out to be another trend that lost its purpose. This paper also analyses how some select…
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Online Networks and Social Change

Climate action, Consumerism, Consumption, Deinfluencing, Fast fashion, Gen Z, Influencers, Instagram, social change, Social Media, Sustainability, Sustainable Living