LEGO and Social Media Star Team Up to Break Down Gender Stereotypes in Gaming
Courtesy LEGO
Social media star Lauryn Alexandria—or @toastymarshmellow, as she's known to her 1.3 million TikTok followers—is on a mission to encourage girls to embrace their creativity, wherever it may take them.
The livestream gamer and VGM (VideoGameMusic) singer is determined to break down the gender stereotypes that may keep girls from pursuing the world of gaming and other types of play.
That's why she's collaborating with LEGO's Play Unstoppable campaign. Alexandria is one of a number of high-profile influencers and celebrities, including U.S. soccer champion Megan Rapinoe, who are working with the brand to encourage girls to explore and play without traditional gender-based limits and celebrate their endless potential.
On Sunday, October 1, Alexandria was part of a Play Unstoppable Workshop to celebrate the gaming world at the flagship LEGO Store on Fifth Avenue in New York City. Children were encouraged to bring gaming worlds to life as Lauryn inspired them to design an avatar for an imaginary world and build it out of LEGO bricks during a two-hour hands-on workshop.
The young builders were able to create their own LEGO personas with the influencer and then place their creations in photo booths where they could choose a gaming background and take home their own LEGO mini poster.
For Alexandria, the event was especially moving as she uses her platform to be a role model to girls worldwide and spread positivity through the power of gaming. “Gaming has been something where people kind of misunderstand, like, the stereotypes that come with it. And now that gaming is even more popular, we're finally seeing a turn in a positive light for gaming, which I absolutely love.” Alexandria says.
Courtesy LEGO
Alexandria applauds LEGO's commitment to inspiring girls to pursue gaming. "I have played with LEGO bricks since I was really young. So this workshop today was a dream come true," she says.
Even though the event is over, anyone can build their own avatar with Alexandria through her virtual Workshop on LEGO.com. She takes you through her own avatar transformation and encourages viewers to create their own avatar and level it up to go on adventures.
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As for the inspiration for Alexandria's adorable online name? “So Toasty Marshmallow is not actually food," she says. "It is based on pet names that I want. So I want a brown cat with a white belly named Toasty and a white rabbit named Marshmallow. And I want them to be friends.”
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