Let the good times roll: redefining consumer fun through e-scooter experiences

This ethnographic study follows in the tradition of Consumer Culture Theory, and integrates electronic transit diaries, in-depth interviews, and participant observation to understand consumer experiences of fun during e-scooter use. The context of e-scooter consumption provides an opportunity to reorient tenets of earlier theories of fun, specifically Oh and Pham (2022. A liberating-engagement theory of consumer fun. Journal of Consumer Research, 49(1), 46–73. https://doi.org/10.1093/jcr/ucab051Oh). This paper furthers a theory of consumer fun based on key components: Corporeality, Feelings of Freedom, (re)Discovery through Novelty, Social Bonds & Identity, and Temporality, to reconcile anomalies present in existing theorizations of fun and provide a more complete account of how fun originates in consumer contexts outside of those intended for pure enjoyment (e.g. theme parks, tourist destinations, festivals).