{"id":14894,"date":"2019-01-07T22:35:07","date_gmt":"2019-01-07T22:35:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/?p=14894"},"modified":"2019-01-08T01:02:21","modified_gmt":"2019-01-08T01:02:21","slug":"the-bizarre-phenomenon-of-vacation-surprise-videos","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/the-bizarre-phenomenon-of-vacation-surprise-videos\/","title":{"rendered":"The bizarre phenomenon of vacation surprise videos"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/jenna-drenten-422589\">Jenna Drenten<\/a>, <em><a href=\"http:\/\/theconversation.com\/institutions\/loyola-university-chicago-2698\">Loyola University Chicago<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p>Parents have long surprised their kids with a family vacation.<\/p>\n<p>However, the practice of parents recording their kids\u2019 reactions \u2013 and then sharing them online \u2013 is a unique phenomenon of the social media age.<\/p>\n<p>In the days after Christmas, you may have seen some of these videos on your social media feeds. In fact, a YouTube search for \u201csurprise trip for kids\u201d yields millions of videos.<\/p>\n<p>But for every excited kid, there\u2019s one who\u2019s crying, screaming or simply perplexed.<\/p>\n<figure><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/e7UVSfHmQvY?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0\" width=\"440\" height=\"260\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><figcaption><span class=\"caption\">Kids react with skepticism upon learning they\u2019ll be going to Disneyland.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/scholar.google.com\/citations?user=cYOUU4EAAAAJ&amp;hl=en\">As a consumer sociologist<\/a>, I study how technology provides new ways to meet people\u2019s needs, and how families navigate relationships through social media.<\/p>\n<p>In <a href=\"https:\/\/www.emeraldinsight.com\/doi\/abs\/10.1108\/YC-08-2017-00728\">a recent study<\/a>, I analyzed 139 surprise vacation reveal videos on YouTube.<\/p>\n<p>I wanted to know how kids tend to react, why they might react differently than expected, and why parents might feel compelled to post these reactions online for the world to see.<\/p>\n<h2>A parental performance<\/h2>\n<p>There seems to be a growing realization that today\u2019s \u201cmust-have\u201d toy will be tomorrow\u2019s yard sale markdown.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/abs\/10.1177\/0956797614546556\">Research has shown<\/a> that more people are buying gifts that give others the opportunity to experience something new. Instead of getting their kids dolls or video games, parents might instead give them tickets to a concert or season passes to a theme park.<\/p>\n<p>Family vacation gifts can both create quality family time and give kids the opportunity to experience something new.<\/p>\n<p>All of this is well and good.<\/p>\n<p>But how to explain the compulsion to record and share these surprises?<\/p>\n<p>Surprise family vacation videos are a form of \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/scholarship.law.ufl.edu\/facultypub\/779\/\">sharenting<\/a>,\u201d a term coined to describe the way some parents share the day-to-day details of their children\u2019s lives on social media.<\/p>\n<p>But they evoke clips of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tandfonline.com\/doi\/abs\/10.1080\/09589236.2017.1287066\">gender reveals<\/a>, in which parents-to-be gather friends and family to announce the sex of their future child, often using gimmicks like cutting into a cake or setting off a smoke bomb colored pink or blue to indicate the gender.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>They also bring to mind videos of <a href=\"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/abs\/10.1177\/1750635213476407?casa_token=noe8psOxm3YAAAAA%3AJpg-m2Q8yCuBV0zUIePmm56Py1UcxaUFdcG9U8ifUgkFfsoMpUts9Dz6KBPN7U6Ik4264Ocf1ZYC\">soldier homecomings<\/a>, during which active duty soldiers return from deployment to surprise their loved ones. And they mimic the phenomenon of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/business\/economy\/unboxing-this-years-hot-toy-the-lol-surprise\/2017\/11\/06\/80172b32-b436-11e7-a908-a3470754bbb9_story.html?noredirect=on&amp;utm_term=.80b3673cbe0b\">unboxing videos<\/a>, in which consumers record their own commentary as they open, unpack and test new products, from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=u_MmxV2vNs8\">Apple iPhones<\/a> to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=W6ajo5u8-Gw\">live reptiles<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Neuroscience might tell us why these clips are so attractive to social media users: Positive surprises trigger <a href=\"https:\/\/abcnews.go.com\/Health\/story?id=116829&amp;page=1\">pleasure centers<\/a> in the human brain. We both crave the unexpected and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wnyc.org\/story\/surprise-unexpected-why-it-feels-good-and-why-its-good-us\/\">feel compelled<\/a> to surprise others in positive ways.<\/p>\n<p>For parents, social media is a stage: They can immortalize the vacation in family lore and allow online viewers to vicariously follow along. Parents become both directors and performers as the drama unfolds, sometimes going so far as to plan elaborate <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pinterest.com\/pin\/66991113182321639\/\">scavenger hunts<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.etsy.com\/listing\/542348364\/were-going-to-custom-wooden-puzzle?ga_order=most_relevant&amp;ga_search_type=all&amp;ga_view_type=gallery&amp;ga_search_query=vacation+puzzle&amp;ref=sr_gallery-1-1&amp;organic_search_click=1\">puzzles<\/a> to heighten the drama of the eventual reveal.<\/p>\n<figure><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/XftoNaAeR-I?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0\" width=\"440\" height=\"260\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><figcaption><span class=\"caption\">Teenage sisters surprised by Christmas trip to Europe.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>When \u2013 and why \u2013 the surprise fails<\/h2>\n<p>With everything in place, all eyes \u2013 and lenses \u2013 turn to the kids. The final step is for them to react as expected: overjoyed.<\/p>\n<p>Unfortunately, this doesn\u2019t always happen.<\/p>\n<p>From analyzing the videos in my study, two main issues seem to lead to a \u201csurprise vacation fail.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>First, kids\u2019 preferences aren\u2019t so predictable.<\/p>\n<p>For example, when one family <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=UcgNBezKyZQ&amp;t=81s&amp;list=PL7IXZ9xuT0-wO1VGsKBLwuJJhlfavjbfC&amp;index=35\">surprises<\/a> their kids with a trip to Disney World, their son says he\u2019d rather go to Chuck E. Cheese.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe could have saved a lot more money had I known!\u201d his exasperated mother responds.<\/p>\n<p>Theme parks and cruises might seem like they\u2019d be at the top of kids\u2019 dream vacation destinations. But children may prefer more mundane, ordinary trips. Some parents will use a bait-and-switch tactic \u2013 telling their kids they\u2019re going to Grandma\u2019s house, only to reveal that they\u2019re actually going to Universal Studios.<\/p>\n<p>What if the kid would rather just see Grandma?<\/p>\n<figure><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/OOpOhlGiRTM?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0\" width=\"440\" height=\"260\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><figcaption><span class=\"caption\">A girl bursts into tears upon hearing she\u2019ll be going to Disneyland.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Second, a surprise trip that comes out of nowhere \u2013 without any sort of forewarning \u2013 can be anxiety-inducing for kids. They might have a fear of flying, or a fear of the unknown. Concerns that might seem like no big deal to adults \u2013 Who will watch the dog? Can they bring their favorite blanket? What happens if they miss school? \u2013 can be daunting, especially for younger kids caught up in the moment.<\/p>\n<p>Research suggests <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tandfonline.com\/doi\/abs\/10.1080\/02508281.2013.11081742\">family vacations can be stressful<\/a>, especially for families with young children. The planning, the packing, the logistics \u2013 all of it falls on the shoulders of the parent, with little input from the children.<\/p>\n<figure><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/mhP4jOaBdzA?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0\" width=\"440\" height=\"260\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><figcaption><span class=\"caption\">A little girl is concerned about missing her \u2018special day.\u2019<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Adding an element of surprise can add to the pressure placed on parents. Then throw social media into the mix, and the \u201cperfect\u201d vacation becomes that much more difficult to attain.<\/p>\n<p>In many videos, you can hear the tension in the parents\u2019 voices as they cheerily try to play up the trip to a stunned kid.<\/p>\n<p>For parents, it\u2019s probably important to remember that even if the surprise reveal is a flop, it doesn\u2019t mean the trip will be.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img loading=\"lazy\" style=\"border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;\" src=\"https:\/\/counter.theconversation.com\/content\/108132\/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic\" alt=\"The Conversation\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" \/><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: http:\/\/theconversation.com\/republishing-guidelines --><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/jenna-drenten-422589\">Jenna Drenten<\/a>, Assistant Professor of Marketing, <em><a href=\"http:\/\/theconversation.com\/institutions\/loyola-university-chicago-2698\">Loyola University Chicago<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p>This article is republished from <a href=\"http:\/\/theconversation.com\">The Conversation<\/a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/the-bizarre-phenomenon-of-vacation-surprise-videos-108132\">original article<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Jenna Drenten, Loyola University Chicago Parents have long surprised their kids with a family vacation. However, the practice of parents recording their kids\u2019 reactions \u2013 and then sharing them online \u2013 is a unique phenomenon of the social media age. In the days after Christmas, you may have seen some of these videos on your [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":44,"featured_media":14890,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[293],"tags":[387,1733,1732,3832,1034,702,5600,16,2457,1791],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14894"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/44"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14894"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14894\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14902,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14894\/revisions\/14902"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14890"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14894"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14894"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14894"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}