With nearly 3 billion views on YouTube, the mysterious 'Disney Collector' and her simple videos of her unboxing toys are captivating children. Never revealing her face, she calmly takes the viewer through the unpacking process. But what makes her so fascinating?

PewDiePie is the most subscribed channel on YouTube, and its creator makes more than £2 million a year on ad sales. He's one of YouTube's elite – a new generation of hyper-influential media moguls. But why are 30 million teens watching a stranger play video games?

In an average month, people watch 6 billion hours of footage on YouTube. Research from Variety has indicated that "the five most influential figures among Americans aged 13-18 are all YouTube sensations, thoroughly eclipsing mainstream celebrities."

One in three teens claim they could make money by creating YouTube videos. The success of social media stars like Bethany Mota shows that celebrity endorsements aren't influential as they used to be. Today's teens want inspiration from cool kids who could easily be their mates.