Toys: Social Impact

This is a very interesting and fun topic in terms of pop culture. Toys have a major impact on all areas of development. Everything from children’s emotional attachment to toys to the financial impact on the parents of the cost of the toys is important to the toy culture. Clearly, there are many factors that have played a role in the development of new and creative toys. I happened to find this subject of toys and culture quite interesting has it is important to child development but also in terms of marketing and advertising.

I was born in 1988, so as I was growing up video games, cell phones and technology was already fairly popular. However, I did not always play video games or with technology advanced toys. Some of my favorite toys were the classic Barbie dolls, although I must admit I also have a collection of Britney Spears and N*Sync dolls/action figures, littlest pet shop toys, my little ponies and care bears.


Something that I noticed was that although I played with Barbie dolls, most of my toys were in some form of pet animals, like beanie babies and littlest pet shop toys. When I was little I wanted to be a vet and I think the toys I played with had to with in some ways. I think the simplest toys are sometimes the best to play with. I am also a child psychology minor and I have studied the impact of toys on children.
Child development is something very interesting to me and the impact of toys and with the newest technology including things like baby Einstein. From my readings and research baby Einstein and other toys similar to it have not always proved to be best for babies.

I would have to agree with this article, toys can be proven to increase cognitive awareness in some aspects but an increase in an IQ score is almost impossible from the toys and videos alone at such a young age. This TIME article brings up some good points on early infant interaction with toys. With all the media changes, TV is perhaps one of the most influential ‘toys’ or products on children and takes away from their interactions with real physical objects and/or people. I also think with technology of TV and video games that kids are becoming more over stimulated as also mentioned in the article. Kids are, in general, used to getting entertained and not being able to occupy themselves when they get bored with the TV show or video game. I personally think it stunts creativity in children.
As kids get older, toys take a different form, especially in today’s society. Many toys, as we get older, are cell phones, ipods, and laptops. This is different then twenty years ago. I think things like this that used to be prized are now common day items, i.e. cell phones. I know that my cousin who is in third grade now has a cell phone and some of my students at my school that I worked at also had cell phones in fourth and fifth grade. I remember I got my first phone in eighth grade and I could only use in case of an emergency but now kids use these ‘toys’ at a much younger age.
I also think that with mass production assembly lines toys are much easier to produce and reproduce. For example, the classic Barbie still exists but there are many replicas and copies such as Bratz, which have also caused a lot of controversy.
Toys such as Bratz and Moxie Girls, I feel, promote materialism, many of these dolls ‘need’ accessories such as different clothes, purses, and even cars. Young girls who play with these dolls assume that they as well may need these things as well. Overall, I think that toys are an important part of our development. Even the simplest toys are important to the creative, social and motor and skill development. I also think that toys, especially nowadays has an important social impact in social circles of kids.


Brief Discussion Questions to Respond to:

A.) What were some of your favorite toys growing up?
B.) How have toys changed across the decades?
C.) Do you think these changes are having a positive or negative impact on society?
D.) Design an advertisement(write out what it would be like, you may also add pictures if you would like) of your favorite toy growing up? The target should be of kids of the 21st century.   Is it similar to the advertisements you used to see for it?