Abstract
Product hibernation—when end-of-life products are kept but no longer used—poses a significant barrier to extending product lifespans within a circular economy. In households with young children, this challenge is particularly evident: toys are frequently outgrown but retained or ultimately discarded once deemed obsolete, even when fully functional. This paper presents findings from a mixed-method study involving interviews with ten families, a survey of 101 families, and an inventory analysis of thirty- three hibernating children’s toys. The study explores the reasons behind toy hibernation, revealing key motivational factors, as well as barriers to sharing when it has the highest value. Initial findings suggest that emotional attachment and psychological reasons play a central role in detachment difficulties and decisions around a toy's after-use phase. Building on these insights, the study explores how the concept of creating a virtual replica of toys in a digital world might influence users' perceptions and intentions around toy sharing. It identifies factors such as storytelling, community engagement, and replicating real toy visualization as opportunities to design virtual environments and product experiences that reframe end-of-use value and encourage timely sharing. This paper contributes original knowledge to the field of product longevity by proposing a design strategy to mitigate product hibernation through
Keywords
Toy hibernation; Circular Economy; Keeping behaviour; Design for sharing; Virtual replication
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21606/iasdr.2025.127
Citation
Choi, Y.J., Moon, H., Pyon, J., Jeon, M., Lee, S.W., Stabolepszy, C.,and Grant, T.(2025) Emotional Transition and Digital Continuity: Exploring Toy Hibernation in Family Households, in Chang, C.-Y., and Hsu, Y. (eds.), IASDR 2025: Design Next, 02-05 December, Taiwan. https://doi.org/10.21606/iasdr.2025.127
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Conference Track
Track 8 - Circular/Sustainable Design
Emotional Transition and Digital Continuity: Exploring Toy Hibernation in Family Households
Product hibernation—when end-of-life products are kept but no longer used—poses a significant barrier to extending product lifespans within a circular economy. In households with young children, this challenge is particularly evident: toys are frequently outgrown but retained or ultimately discarded once deemed obsolete, even when fully functional. This paper presents findings from a mixed-method study involving interviews with ten families, a survey of 101 families, and an inventory analysis of thirty- three hibernating children’s toys. The study explores the reasons behind toy hibernation, revealing key motivational factors, as well as barriers to sharing when it has the highest value. Initial findings suggest that emotional attachment and psychological reasons play a central role in detachment difficulties and decisions around a toy's after-use phase. Building on these insights, the study explores how the concept of creating a virtual replica of toys in a digital world might influence users' perceptions and intentions around toy sharing. It identifies factors such as storytelling, community engagement, and replicating real toy visualization as opportunities to design virtual environments and product experiences that reframe end-of-use value and encourage timely sharing. This paper contributes original knowledge to the field of product longevity by proposing a design strategy to mitigate product hibernation through