tag:theconversation.com,2011:/au/topics/toys-6416/articlesToys – The Conversation2023-12-18T16:17:20Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2179922023-12-18T16:17:20Z2023-12-18T16:17:20ZAdvertising toys to children is an environmental nightmare – here’s how parents can deal with it<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/566310/original/file-20231218-23-ncxq5h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C1280%2C960&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://pixabay.com/photos/lego-blocks-multicoloured-plastic-1649878/">RegenWolke/Pixabay</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>As Christmas approaches, many children experience the “gimme-gimmes” and write a list of toys that they hope Santa will bring. This is to be expected. Toys give children a chance to learn and be curious, engage their imaginations in play and become socialised with others.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, <a href="https://fashnerd.com/2018/05/ecobirdy-sustainable-recycling-innovative-technology/#:%7E:text=According%20to%20ecoBirdy's%20website%2C%2080,just%20six%20months%20on%20average.">80% of all toys</a> end up in landfills, incinerators or the ocean. The toy industry uses <a href="https://www.theworldcounts.com/challenges/consumption/other-products/environmental-impact-of-toys">40 tonnes of plastic</a> for every US$1 million it generates in revenue and has <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352550922000550">an excessive carbon footprint</a>.</p>
<p>Toys may contribute to the development of a child while threatening their health and wellbeing with pollution. Advertisers perpetuate this paradox, and children are vulnerable to their persuasive tactics.</p>
<p>Advertisers know that children are an inevitable part of the consumer decision-making cycle and coax them to pester their parents to part with hard-earned cash. Creating an emotional attachment to toys in the minds of children is key – tie-ins with food, fun, clothing and music create a spiral of brand-associated desire. </p>
<p>Popular but non-recyclable loom bands (a wrist-worn accessory) are <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2715044/Loom-band-craze-eco-ticking-timebomb-Fears-thousands-bands-recycled-discarded-street.html">a poignant example</a>. This worldwide children’s craze, often used to signal solidarity with a cause, has led to a deluge of silicone-based rubber reaching landfills and the ocean every year. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A colourful selection of children's toys on a white background." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/566298/original/file-20231218-21-uk0iid.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C5162%2C3993&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/566298/original/file-20231218-21-uk0iid.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=464&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/566298/original/file-20231218-21-uk0iid.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=464&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/566298/original/file-20231218-21-uk0iid.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=464&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/566298/original/file-20231218-21-uk0iid.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=583&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/566298/original/file-20231218-21-uk0iid.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=583&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/566298/original/file-20231218-21-uk0iid.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=583&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">The vast majority of plastic toys are not widely recycled.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/multicolored-learning-toys-gDiRwIYAMA8">Vanessa Bucceri/Unsplash</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Aside from emotional marketing (which works on children and adults alike) <a href="https://bpspsychub.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1348/026151008X388378">studies have shown</a> that very young children often cannot tell whether they are watching a television programme or an advertisement. Banner advertising on game sites present the same issue. </p>
<p>Only from the <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1470785318802682">ages of nine to 11</a> do children begin to become brand-aware and conscious of the social currency that brand power presents. While they may increasingly understand the intent behind branding, they are also at an age where they are prone to peer pressure and will use what psychologists call their “<a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/0267257X.2010.495281">pester power</a>”.</p>
<p>Children are clearly vulnerable to these tactics, and the result is a growing stream of plastic into the environment. But psychological research suggests that a child’s developmental capacity to understand the climate crisis and its consequences could provide an antidote. By giving children space to participate fully in decisions that are potentially harmful to the environment, parents may counteract a child’s susceptibility to aggressive advertising. </p>
<h2>Give children more agency</h2>
<p>The Psychological Society of Ireland recently responded to a call for recommendations on improving children’s rights laws from the <a href="https://www.ohchr.org/en/calls-for-input/2023/call-comments-draft-general-comment-childrens-rights-and-environment-special">United Nations</a>. Leading the submission, <a href="https://www.psychologicalsociety.ie/source/PSI%20response%20to%20UN%20Committee%20on%20Rights%20of%20the%20Child%20-%20Draft%20General%20comment%20No-26%20(SIGHRP).pdf">the team and I</a> addressed the mental health problems caused to children by environmental harm. </p>
<p>Elaine Rogers, Alexis Carey and I published a <a href="https://muse.jhu.edu/article/904850/pdf">review paper</a> drawing on psychological research and the UN’s global consultation with 16,000 children. This consultation found that children across a range of ages not only demonstrate their understanding of the threat climate change poses but readily propose solutions. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A child holding up a toy camera." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/566302/original/file-20231218-29-okj15f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/566302/original/file-20231218-29-okj15f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=414&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/566302/original/file-20231218-29-okj15f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=414&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/566302/original/file-20231218-29-okj15f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=414&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/566302/original/file-20231218-29-okj15f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=521&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/566302/original/file-20231218-29-okj15f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=521&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/566302/original/file-20231218-29-okj15f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=521&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Children can understand the climate crisis – and the role that consumerism plays in it.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/girl-holding-purple-and-green-camera-toy-GagC07wVvck">Tanaphong Toochinda/Unsplash</a></span>
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<p>When the opportunity arises, children and adolescents express empathy and distress at the situation, and may even be predisposed to anxiety. The climate anxiety that children experience may be for themselves and their own family, for future generations, or for the environment and other species. These findings suggest that the capacity for children to understand the climate crisis could counteract their susceptibility to advertising which inflames it.</p>
<p>Drawing on our analysis of how children’s participation can generate solutions to environmental issues, I have put together recommendations which may be helpful to parents and guardians this Christmas season.</p>
<h2>Get the whole family involved</h2>
<p>Have discussions with your child about how a toy will possibly be good or bad for the environment. For instance, some <a href="https://corporate.mattel.com/sustainable-materials-in-toys">well-known brands</a> have switched to using plastic made from ethanol extracted from sugar cane.</p>
<p>Look for eco-labels on toys and find out which suppliers stock <a href="https://www.greentoys.com/">Green Toy</a> brands. Also ask questions about the educational merit of a toy choice and help your child weigh up the pros and cons. Try balancing these purchases with more commercial ones.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A selection of wooden toy animals." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/566300/original/file-20231218-17-3tuk08.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/566300/original/file-20231218-17-3tuk08.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=422&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/566300/original/file-20231218-17-3tuk08.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=422&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/566300/original/file-20231218-17-3tuk08.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=422&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/566300/original/file-20231218-17-3tuk08.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=530&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/566300/original/file-20231218-17-3tuk08.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=530&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/566300/original/file-20231218-17-3tuk08.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=530&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Certification schemes exist to make ethical choices easier for parents and guardians.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/green-crocodile-wooden-toy-on-the-floor-3661197/">Cottonbro Studio</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
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<p>Perhaps find out how your children could become involved in national and international debates on climate change. The UN recently made explicit that there is a legal responsibility on advertisers to ensure that marketing does not mislead children and it has placed a high value on children’s involvement in these matters, producing a <a href="https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/documents/hrbodies/crc/gcomments/gc26/2023/GC26-Child-Friendly-Version_English.pdf">child-friendly version</a> (and an accompanying <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88ytWDLmyC8">video</a>) of its position on children’s rights and the environment. </p>
<h2>Toy banks</h2>
<p>Look out for collection points for pre-loved toys. Toy banks can start with family, friends and neighbours. Perhaps canvass local residential committees and local government to start one if there isn’t one near you.</p>
<p>Encourage your children to gather a used-toy selection to send to local charity shops in the run up to Christmas. </p>
<h2>Encourage longevity</h2>
<p>When toys have a personal story, children are more likely to want to play with them for longer, especially <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/andyrobertson/2018/01/26/connected-toys-need-to-learn-longevity-from-traditional-toy-makers/?sh=32b506292ad2">character toys</a>. </p>
<p>For example, a doll and teddy bear “holiday” or “hospital stay” might reignite your child’s interest in a toy when they return. </p>
<h2>Safe spaces</h2>
<p>Creating <a href="https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/documents/hrbodies/crc/gcomments/gc26/2023/GC26-Child-Friendly-Version_English.pdf">safe spaces</a> for discussion at home, at school or in the community will help your children think critically about how product marketing or merchandise could make them complicit in damaging the environment. The discussion should feel safe and non-adversarial. </p>
<p>Remember that children are the gatekeepers of purchasing power, with the ability to persuade parents, caregivers and even Santa to bring them the toys they choose. </p>
<p>Empowering your children to make grown-up decisions about the toys they’d like to have, or to keep, will help reduce the negative impact of advertising on their wellbeing.</p>
<hr>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="Imagine weekly climate newsletter" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Michelle Cowley-Cunningham is a chartered psychologist of the British Psychological Society and an associate fellow of the Psychological Society of Ireland. She is affiliated with the Green Party, Ireland. </span></em></p>Until the age of nine, children struggle to distinguish adverts from TV shows.Michelle Cowley-Cunningham, Chartered Psychologist and Postdoctoral Researcher at the National Centre for Family Business, Dublin City UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2145732023-10-05T12:35:46Z2023-10-05T12:35:46ZLego’s ESG dilemma: Why an abandoned plan to use recycled plastic bottles is a wake-up call for supply chain sustainability<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/551813/original/file-20231003-27-dy1q3j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C13%2C2995%2C1994&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Legos are designed to last for decades. That posed a challenge when the toymaker tried to switch to recycled plastics.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/JapanLegoVermeer/44d6901361e34da99801b802fd976bb2/photo">AP Photo/Shizuo Kambayashi</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Lego, the world’s <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/241241/revenue-of-major-toy-companies-worldwide/">largest toy manufacturer</a>, has built a reputation not only for the <a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/how-much-abuse-can-a-single-lego-brick-take-343398/">durability of its bricks</a>, designed to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/lego-design-sustainability-circular-economy">last for decades</a>, but also for its substantial investment in sustainability. The company has <a href="https://www.esgtoday.com/lego-to-invest-over-1-4-billion-to-reduce-emissions-commits-to-net-zero-by-2050/">pledged US$1.4 billion</a> to reduce carbon emissions by 2025, despite netting <a href="https://apnews.com/article/lego-profit-sales-higher-prices-denmark-daa98df56563de4b9fa02185862b1b3a">annual profits of just over $2 billion</a> in 2022. </p>
<p>This commitment isn’t just for show. Lego sees its core customers as children and their parents, and <a href="https://www.un.org/en/academic-impact/sustainability">sustainability</a> is fundamentally about ensuring that future generations inherit a planet as hospitable as the one we enjoy today. </p>
<p>So it was surprising when the Financial Times reported on <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/6cad1883-f87a-471d-9688-c1a3c5a0b7dc">Sept. 25, 2023</a>, that Lego had pulled out of its widely publicized “<a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/sustainable-business/bottles-bricks-lego-finds-right-fit-with-recycled-plastic-2021-06-23/">Bottles to Bricks</a>” initiative.</p>
<p>This ambitious project aimed to replace traditional Lego plastic with a new material made from recycled plastic bottles. However, when Lego assessed the project’s environmental impact throughout its supply chain, it found that producing bricks with the recycled plastic would <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2023/sep/24/lego-abandons-effort-to-make-bricks-from-recycled-plastic-bottles">require extra materials and energy</a> to make them durable enough. Because this conversion process would result in higher carbon emissions, the company decided to stick with its current fossil fuel-based materials while <a href="https://www.lego.com/en-us/aboutus/news/2023/september/the-lego-group-remains-committed-to-make-lego-bricks-from-sustainable-materials">continuing to search</a> for more sustainable alternatives.</p>
<p>As <a href="https://tinglongdai.com">experts</a> in <a href="https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/faculty-research/faculty/hau-l-lee">global supply chains</a> and <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=Kk-QbksAAAAJ&hl=en">sustainability</a>, we believe Lego’s pivot is the beginning of a larger trend toward developing sustainable solutions for entire supply chains in a circular economy. New regulations <a href="https://www.isscorporatesolutions.com/library/are-european-companies-ready-for-scope-3-disclosures/">in the European Union</a> – and <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us/california-climate-bill-clears-senate-governor-newsom-have-final-say-2023-09-12/">expected in California</a> – are about to speed things up.</p>
<h2>Examining all the emissions, cradle to grave</h2>
<p>Business leaders are increasingly <a href="https://doi.org/10.1287/serv.2021.0295">integrating environmental, social and governance factors</a>, commonly known as ESG, into their operational and strategic frameworks. But the pursuit of sustainability requires attention to the entire life cycle of a product, from its materials and manufacturing processes to its use and ultimate disposal.</p>
<p>The results can lead to counterintuitive outcomes, as Lego discovered.</p>
<p>Understanding a company’s entire carbon footprint requires looking at <a href="https://www.epa.gov/climateleadership/scope-1-and-scope-2-inventory-guidance">three types of emissions</a>: Scope 1 emissions are generated directly by a company’s internal operations. Scope 2 emissions are caused by generating the electricity, steam, heat or cooling a company consumes. And <a href="https://www.epa.gov/climateleadership/scope-3-inventory-guidance">scope 3</a> emissions are generated by a company’s supply chain, from upstream suppliers to downstream distributors and end customers. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Lists of examples of sope 1, 2, 3 emissions sources with an illustration of a factory in the center" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/450130/original/file-20220304-13-727hza.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/450130/original/file-20220304-13-727hza.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=509&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/450130/original/file-20220304-13-727hza.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=509&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/450130/original/file-20220304-13-727hza.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=509&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/450130/original/file-20220304-13-727hza.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=640&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/450130/original/file-20220304-13-727hza.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=640&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/450130/original/file-20220304-13-727hza.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=640&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">What scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions involve.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.americanprogress.org/article/why-companies-should-be-required-to-disclose-their-scope-3-emissions/">Chester Hawkins/Center for American Progress</a></span>
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</figure>
<p>Currently, <a href="https://www.isscorporatesolutions.com/library/are-european-companies-ready-for-scope-3-disclosures">fewer than 30%</a> of companies report meaningful scope 3 emissions, in part because these emissions are difficult to track. Yet, companies’ scope 3 emissions are on average <a href="https://www.cdp.net/en/research/global-reports/transparency-to-transformation">11.4 times greater</a> than their <a href="https://www.epa.gov/climateleadership/scope-1-and-scope-2-inventory-guidance">scope 1</a> emissions, data from corporate disclosures reported to the nonprofit CDP show.</p>
<p>Lego is a case study of this lopsided distribution and the importance of tracking scope 3 emissions. A staggering <a href="https://www.lego.com/en-us/sustainability/environment/our-co2-footprint">98% of Lego’s carbon emissions</a> are categorized as scope 3. </p>
<p>From 2020 to 2021, the company’s total emissions increased by 30%, amid surging demand for Lego sets during the COVID-19 lockdowns – even though the company’s scope 2 emissions related to purchased energy such as electricity decreased by 40%. The increase was almost entirely in its scope 3 emissions.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/C3oiy9eekzk?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Lego’s tour of how its toy bricks are made doesn’t address the supply chain, where most of Lego’s greenhouse gas emissions originate.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>As more companies follow in Lego’s footsteps and begin reporting scope 3 emissions, they will likely find themselves in the same position, realizing that efforts to reduce carbon emissions often boil down to supply chain and consumer-use emissions. And the results may force them to make some tough choices.</p>
<h2>Policy and disclosure: The next frontier</h2>
<p>New regulations in the European Union and pending in California are designed to increase corporate emissions transparency by including supply chain emissions.</p>
<p>The EU in June 2023 adopted the first set of European Sustainability Reporting Standards, which will require publicly traded companies in the EU to <a href="https://www.isscorporatesolutions.com/library/are-european-companies-ready-for-scope-3-disclosures/%22%22">disclose their scope 3 emissions</a>, starting in their reports for fiscal year 2024.</p>
<p>California’s legislature <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us/california-climate-bill-clears-senate-governor-newsom-have-final-say-2023-09-12/#:%7E:text=Sept%2012%20(Reuters)%20%2D%20California's,in%20setting%20corporate%20climate%20rules.%22%22">passed similar legislation</a> requiring companies with revenues of more than $1 billion to disclose their scope 3 emissions. California’s governor has until Oct. 14, 2023, to consider the bill and <a href="https://apnews.com/article/california-governor-gavin-newsom-climate-bills-global-warming-2c5adbb29e67b753e396169195430ffb">is expected to sign it</a>.</p>
<p>At the federal level, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission released a proposal in March 2022 that, if finalized, <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/secs-climate-disclosure-rule-isnt-here-but-it-may-as-well-be-many-businesses-say-854789bd/">would require</a> all public companies to report climate-related risk and emissions data, including scope 3 emissions. After <a href="https://news.bloomberglaw.com/securities-law/sec-climate-rules-pushed-back-amid-bureaucratic-legal-woes%22%22">receiving significant pushback</a>, the SEC began reconsidering the scope 3 reporting rule. But SEC Chairman Gary Gensler suggested during a congressional hearing in late September 2023 that California’s move <a href="https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/sec-chief-says-new-california-law-could-change-baseline-coming-sec-climate-rule-2023-09-27/">could influence federal regulators’ decision</a>.</p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">SEC Chairman Gary Gensler explains the importance of climate-related risk disclosures.</span></figcaption>
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<p>This increased focus on disclosure of scope 3 emissions will undoubtedly increase pressure on companies. </p>
<p>Because scope 3 emissions are significant, yet often not measured or reported, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-022-05151-9">consumers are rightly concerned</a> that companies that claim to have low emissions <a href="https://makersite.io/insights/whitepaper-the-cost-of-greenwashing/">may be greenwashing</a> without taking action to reduce emissions in their supply chains to combat climate change. </p>
<p>At the same time, we suspect that as more investors support sustainable investing, they may prefer to invest in companies that are transparent in disclosing all areas of emissions. Ultimately, we believe consumers, investors and governments will demand more than lip service from companies. Instead, they’ll expect companies to take actionable steps to reduce the most significant part of a company’s carbon footprint – scope 3 emissions. </p>
<h2>A journey, not a destination</h2>
<p>The Lego example serves as a cautionary tale in the complex ESG landscape for which <a href="https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/three-quarters-firms-globally-are-not-ready-new-esg-rules-kpmg-finds-2023-09-26/">most companies are not well prepared</a>. As more companies come under scrutiny for their entire carbon footprint, we may see more instances where well-intentioned sustainability efforts run into uncomfortable truths. </p>
<p>This calls for a nuanced understanding of sustainability, not as a checklist of good deeds, but as a complex, ongoing process that requires vigilance, <a href="https://theconversation.com/esg-investing-has-a-blind-spot-that-puts-the-35-trillion-industrys-sustainability-promises-in-doubt-supply-chains-170199">transparency</a> and, above all, a commitment to the benefit of future generations.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/214573/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Corporate supply chains are riddled with high, uncounted emissions, as Lego discovered. New regulations mean more companies will face tough, sometimes surprising, choices.Tinglong Dai, Professor of Operations Management & Business Analytics, Carey Business School, Johns Hopkins UniversityChristopher S. Tang, Professor of Supply Chain Management, University of California, Los AngelesHau L. Lee, Professor of Operations, Information & Technology, Stanford UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2126302023-09-04T14:57:51Z2023-09-04T14:57:51ZLego releases braille bricks – here’s how five other brands could make their toys more accessible<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/545809/original/file-20230831-29-2674l9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C5050%2C3354&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/asian-girl-kid-play-lego-toy-1447788605">Meaw Stocker/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Lego has announced that its <a href="https://legobraillebricks.com/">braille bricks</a> – already popular among services and schools serving visually impaired children – are now available for <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2023/aug/24/lego-to-sell-bricks-coded-with-braille-to-help-vision-impaired-children-read">public purchase</a>. </p>
<p>Improving accessibility in children’s toys and games is an urgent and multifaceted issue. The diverse play access needs of children relate to a wide range of physical and sensory impairments, emotional and learning needs and neurodiversity. Good toy and game design <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09687591003755914">should avoid</a> attempts to <a href="https://kristiania.brage.unit.no/kristiania-xmlui/bitstream/handle/11250/3016892/Normativity%2bassumptions%2bin%2bthe%2bdesign%2band%2bapplication%2bof%2bsocial%2brobots%2bfor%2bautistic%2bchildren.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y">“correct” children’s play</a>. It should focus instead on how toys and games can better meet the play interests – and access and representation needs – of a wide range of children. </p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">The introduction video to Lego braille bricks.</span></figcaption>
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<p>Toys adapted for specific play needs are sometimes <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09638280400018619">prohibitively expensive</a>. The prevalence of <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09638280400018619">parents</a>, <a href="https://dl.acm.org/doi/abs/10.1145/2982142.2982172">older children</a> and <a href="https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1309150.pdf">engineering students</a> already working together on modifications and hacks are testament to the appetite for accessible adaptations. A <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/016264340602100404">universal design</a> (design that supports accessibility for all) approach, where accessibility is built in as standard, rather than added on, may offer useful inspiration. </p>
<p>Along with colleagues, my <a href="https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/education/research/literacies-and-language/responsible-innovation-technology-and-ethics-children-ritec">work at the University of Sheffield</a> highlights how digital play design that supports equitable play for diverse children’s bodies can support important wellbeing benefits. However, many popular toys and games, both digital and otherwise, are currently inaccessible to many children. </p>
<p>Toys with small parts or operating mechanisms, for example, are often inaccessible to children with visual or mobility impairments. Simple adaptations, however, could make them accessible to a much broader range of children. Meanwhile, echoing recent research on the <a href="https://dsq-sds.org/index.php/dsq/article/view/7054">children’s media industry</a>, a concerning range of digital games are still failing to build in progressive representations of disability and diverse bodies.</p>
<p>But evolving technologies could offer opportunities. For example, recent research from <a href="https://bera-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bjet.12852">Lodz University of Technology</a> trialled “interactive sonification” of images in games to help visually impaired children experience shapes and colours through sound. However, as Lego’s braille bricks emphasise, equitable toy and game design need not be complicated.</p>
<p>So how could the teams behind other well known toys and games <a href="https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/education/research/identity-and-marginalised-communities/trustworthy-autonomy-systems-tas">work with disabled children</a> to improve accessibility? Here are a few suggestions.</p>
<h2>1. Big buttons for My Pal Violet</h2>
<p>Interactive animals such as <a href="https://scout.leapfrog.com/mypals2/index.php">LeapFrog’s My Pal Violet</a> bring comfort to many toddlers. However their adorable, squeeze-activated paws and ears are inaccessible to some children, including those with limited mobility and fine motor skills. </p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">Leapfrog’s My Pal Violet demo video.</span></figcaption>
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<p>Fitting Violet with big buttons would improve accessibility. Better still would be adding a mono jack (a connector that transmits signals) to the circuitry of toys like Violet as standard. This would enable parents and carers to add their own “off the shelf” activation switches, such as pull strings, buttons or hand or foot pedals.</p>
<h2>2. AI Barbie dolls</h2>
<p>The <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/barbie-box-office-warner-bros-harry-potter-b2400964.html">box office success</a> of the Barbie movie has catapulted the Barbie doll back into the public eye. But integrating artificial intelligence (AI) could help Barbie better support a range of social and emotional play needs. AI Barbie could interact verbally with children in increasingly sophisticated ways, offering opportunities for creative conversations.</p>
<p>Though Mattel’s discontinued, internet-connected Hello Barbie <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/nov/26/hackers-can-hijack-wi-fi-hello-barbie-to-spy-on-your-children">raised privacy violation concerns</a> in the ways it shared children’s data, a range of recent studies have highlighted the social and emotional benefits of playing with AI toys such as robots. The technology shows potential to support children’s wellbeing through <a href="https://kristiania.brage.unit.no/kristiania-xmlui/bitstream/handle/11250/3016892/Normativity%2bassumptions%2bin%2bthe%2bdesign%2band%2bapplication%2bof%2bsocial%2brobots%2bfor%2bautistic%2bchildren.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y">inclusive design</a>.</p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">The interactive Hello Barbie Dreamhouse.</span></figcaption>
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<p>Playing with robots in early childhood <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/18369391211056668">has been shown to</a> support empathetic play, emotional awareness and turn-taking for nonverbal children and children with a range of other diagnoses and learning and emotional needs, including ADHD.</p>
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<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-is-the-barbie-dreamhouse-so-creepy-an-expert-in-the-uncanny-explains-208801">Why is the Barbie DreamHouse so creepy? An expert in the uncanny explains</a>
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<h2>3. Fully customisable Minecraft</h2>
<p>Minecraft already offers impressive <a href="https://www.minecraft.net/en-us/accessibility">accessibility features</a> such as an optional speech to text setting to enable children to communicate through voice in the game, using dictation tools. But there is still work to be done on design features supporting customisation and their links to the representation of diverse children’s bodies.</p>
<p>Recent work has emphasised the need to develop digital games that <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/21594937.2023.2235466">reflect all children</a>, whether that is in relation to race, ethnicity, gender, class, sexuality, physical difference or disability. Fan-generated modifications and online petitions highlight the sustained appetite for fully functional wheelchairs within the Minecraft universe. </p>
<p>Hasbro’s The Sims is a good example of bodily representation in digital games, offering advanced customisation, including medical wearables such as hearing aids, as well as elements to reflect diverse body shapes and sizes, although feeding tubes, wheelchairs and wheelchair-accessible surroundings are <a href="https://www.indy100.com/science-tech/the-sims-4-trans-disabled">still not available</a>.</p>
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<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-the-sims-4s-new-inclusion-of-transgender-and-disabled-sims-matters-199622">Why The Sims 4's new inclusion of transgender and disabled sims matters</a>
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<h2>4. Motorising the Cozy Coupe</h2>
<p>Little Tikes’ Cozy Coupe is a longstanding early childhood staple, but optional motorisation features could make the Coupe an accessible toy for more families. </p>
<p>A range of research has demonstrated how modification of ride-on toy cars through motorisation and the addition of large, more easily operable controls can support <a href="https://academic.oup.com/ptj/article/102/7/pzac062/6590688">independent mobility</a> and <a href="https://journals.lww.com/pedpt/Fulltext/2014/26010/Modified_Toy_Cars_for_Mobility_and_Socialization_.15.aspx">social benefits</a> for mobility impaired children, including those with cerebral palsy.</p>
<h2>5. Visually emphasising danger in Crossy Road</h2>
<p>Though digital games offer important benefits to a diverse range of children, there are still <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1555412020971500#bibr5-1555412020971500">obstacles to equitable play</a> for the industry to work on. One example is the inaccessibility of games which <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1555412020971500#bibr5-1555412020971500">rely on sound as a game mechanic</a> for deaf children and children with hearing loss.</p>
<p>Research has emphasised the need to offer alternative mechanisms to navigate these titles, such as visual reinforcement. A game like <a href="https://www.crossyroad.com">Crossy Road</a> warns children of the danger of ongoing vehicles through both visual and auditory cues (for example, an increasing volume in traffic noise). Children with limited hearing are therefore at a disadvantage that could be addressed by something as simple as optional fluctuating light or colour cues. </p>
<p>Though the task is by no means straightforward, the digital games industry must continue to consider <a href="https://www.diva-portal.org/smash/record.jsf?pid=diva2%3A305892&dswid=3850">minimum accessibility standards</a> that can be implemented across the industry to better meet the diverse digital play needs of a broad range of children.</p>
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<p><em>Looking for something good? Cut through the noise with a carefully curated selection of the latest releases, live events and exhibitions, straight to your inbox every fortnight, on Fridays. <a href="https://theconversation.com/uk/newsletters/something-good-156">Sign up here</a>.</em></p>
<hr><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/212630/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Fiona Scott is currently receiving funding from the LEGO Foundation as part of the research grant 'Responsible Innovation in Technology and Ethics for Children' ('RITEC'). Her research has previously been funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and the LEGO Foundation.</span></em></p>A concerning range of digital games played by children are still failing to build in progressive representations of disability and diverse bodies.Fiona Scott, Lecturer in Digital Literacies, University of SheffieldLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2087302023-07-17T12:23:46Z2023-07-17T12:23:46ZHow I learned to stop worrying and love the doll – a feminist philosopher’s journey back to Barbie<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/537399/original/file-20230713-19-rjqtmq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=173%2C77%2C3820%2C2323&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">The film's cast includes lesbian icon Kate McKinnon.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/kate-mckinnon-attends-the-press-junket-and-photo-call-for-news-photo/1501789027?adppopup=true">Matt Winkelmeyer/WireImage via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>As a mama trying to raise a daughter free from the gendered stereotypes of my own childhood, I steered her clear of Barbie dolls.</p>
<p>I felt compelled to nudge my now 11-year-old away from the Mattel mainstay for the same reasons I tried to avoid the shallow frivolity of all those Disney princesses waiting around to be rescued.</p>
<p>True, I’d enjoyed plenty of afternoons with these dolls of anatomically impossible proportions myself as a kid growing up in the 1980s – jamming those long spindly limbs into impossibly tiny outfits, scissoring them on mattresses fashioned from my mother’s maxi pads, staging epic domestic dramas. But by the time I was a teenager in the 1990s, I’d discovered feminism.</p>
<p>I’d later grow up to become <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=A3xkVSMAAAAJ&hl=en">a professor of feminist philosophy</a> and the author of a <a href="https://wwnorton.com/books/9781324003090">book on feminism</a> for the general public. Barbie’s hyperbolic blond femininity came to represent everything that was wrong with <a href="https://www.teenvogue.com/story/standard-issues-white-supremacy-capitalism-influence-beauty">patriarchal beauty standards</a>. </p>
<p>My perspective began to change when <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBk4NYhWNMM&ab_channel=WarnerBros.Pictures">snippets of the “Barbie” movie trailer</a> started insinuating themselves into my online feeds. Hot pink hot flashes of nostalgia merged with the realization that Barbie looks to be reinventing herself once again.</p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">The release of the ‘Barbie’ trailer was met with waves of buzz.</span></figcaption>
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<h2>Barbie’s retrograde femininity</h2>
<p>I think Barbie has long functioned as a proxy onto which cultural aspirations and anxieties about womanhood are projected.</p>
<p>The toy first <a href="http://www.barbiemedia.com/timeline.html">hit the market in 1959</a>. To earlier generations, as the first doll to encourage girls to aspire to anything other than motherhood, Barbie might have stood for the unapologetic ambitiousness of the independent career woman. But when it was my generation’s time to play with her, she’d long since been drained of anything so progressive. </p>
<p>Instead, there was the relentless whiteness of her <a href="https://www.fastcompany.com/90457388/barbies-latest-dolls-are-bald-and-have-vitiligo">ideal of beauty</a>. The class-obliviousness of her <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/06/23/realestate/barbie-dreamhouse.html">McMansion Dreamhouse</a>. Her protestations that “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NO0cvqT1tAE">Math class is tough</a>,” driving home the message that STEM is for boys and that girls should be more concerned with being pretty than being smart, or happy, or ambitious or interesting.</p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">Mattel’s ‘Teen Talk’ Barbie uttered phrases like ‘Math class is tough’ and ‘Do you have a crush on anyone?’</span></figcaption>
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<p>All this made Barbie an extremely convenient whipping girl for legitimate frustrations about the unfair expectations foisted onto women by a patriarchal society. Like many feminists, I came to believe that being taken seriously as a woman meant rejecting pretty much everything that Barbie stood for. </p>
<p>My ambivalence toward the kind of conventional femininity of which Barbie was the apotheosis came to feel like a central component of my identity. Sure, I might’ve felt naked if I’d left the house without wearing makeup and uncomfortably restrictive clothing. But I felt consistently guilty about the time and energy I let myself dump into such frivolous pursuits, and I made sure to hide as much of it as I could from my growing daughter. </p>
<p>If I was going to indulge in superficialities that felt completely at odds with my ideological commitments, at least I was going to protect her from internalizing the conviction that she needed to do the same. </p>
<p>No daughter of mine was going have her self-worth tied to the belief that she needs to be sexually appealing to men. So: no Barbies.</p>
<h2>Femmephobia</h2>
<p>Then the hype surrounding the movie strutted those perfectly arched plastic feet back into my consciousness, and I found myself reconsidering my long-standing aversion to Barbie’s performance of femininity. Why, I wondered, did she bring out such mean-girl energy in me? </p>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-020-01641-x">Femmephobia refers</a> to the dislike of, or hostility toward, people or qualities that are stereotypically feminine. It arises against a cultural backdrop in which femininity is consistently less valued than masculinity, and in which the traits associated with masculinity – rationality and independence – are considered to be normal or ideal for all people. </p>
<p>Meanwhile, qualities associated with femininity – such as emotional expressiveness and interdependence – are thought of as inferior, substandard or deviant. But it’s not as if feminine interests and pursuits are inherently more frivolous than masculine ones. Instead, it’s the very fact that something is coded as feminine that makes people take it less seriously. </p>
<p>“Fashion,” <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/10/opinion/sunday/feminism-lean-in.html">quips author Ruth Whippman</a>, “is vain and shallow, while baseball is basically a branch of philosophy.” And Barbie’s defiantly bubbly femininity is about as unserious as it comes.</p>
<p>The trans feminist author <a href="https://www.juliaserano.com/">Julia Serano</a> argues that much of the discrimination faced by trans women has less to do with their being trans and more to do with their being willing to brazenly perform femininity. </p>
<p>The problem, in other words, is less about trans women transgressing conventional gender norms than about their picking the losing team.</p>
<p>“The fact that we identify and live as women, despite being born male and having inherited male privilege,” <a href="https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/julia-serano/whipping-girl/9781580056229/?lens=seal-press">she writes</a>, “challenges those in our society who wish to glorify maleness and masculinity.”</p>
<p>Today’s mainstream visibility of trans women has played an important role in advancing the cultural conversation about the respectability of femininity. Some <a href="https://kathleenstock.substack.com/p/pride?s=r">anti-trans critics</a> accuse the unapologetic femininity of trans women of entrenching retrograde stereotypes. Their femmephobia seems to prevent them from realizing that the objects of their scorn could be celebrating femininity, not denigrating it. </p>
<h2>Is ‘Barbie’ feminist?</h2>
<p>Mattel Films is <a href="https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2023/06/is-barbie-a-feminist-movie-depends-on-who-you-ask">shying away from calling the “Barbie” movie “feminist</a>” – which is unsurprising, given the sometimes controversial label’s uncomfortable fit with corporate profit motives.</p>
<p>But the studio’s choice of <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1950086/">Greta Gerwig</a> to write and direct the film suggests a willingness to explore Barbie’s world through a political lens: <a href="https://theconversation.com/more-than-mumblecore-and-bigger-than-barbie-who-is-greta-gerwig-209389">Gerwig’s solid feminist credentials</a> include her 2017 “Lady Bird” and her 2019 adaptation of “Little Women.” And the casting in “Barbie” of lesbian icon <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0571952/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_0_nm_8_q_kate%2520mcki">Kate McKinnon</a> and trans model and actor <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm6341515/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1">Hari Nef</a> is a clear nod to the LGBTQ+ community. </p>
<p>The feminist philosopher Judith Butler argues that <a href="https://www.routledge.com/Gender-Trouble-Feminism-and-the-Subversion-of-Identity/Butler/p/book/9780415389556">gender isn’t some deeply rooted metaphysical fact</a>; it’s something people perform via their mannerisms, clothing and behavior. Butler says everyone could stand to take a lesson from drag queens, who understand that there’s nothing fundamental behind the smoke and mirrors, nothing to gender above and beyond what the audience thinks of the show. In the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72AAlCa1Nko">words of RuPaul</a>, perhaps the most famous drag queen of all: “You’re born naked, and the rest is drag.” </p>
<p>I think Gerwig’s “Barbie” gets that memo. The hyperbolic femininity of <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3053338/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_5_nm_3_q_margot%2520robb">Margot Robbie’s portrayal of the iconic doll</a> strikes me as tantalizingly closer to <a href="https://www.press.umich.edu/11694/camp">queer camp</a> than as anything that’s supposed to be taken as a sincere role model.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Two drag queens march down a street wearing pink Barbie boxes to create the effect of being dolls before crowds of onlookers." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/536656/original/file-20230710-21-6w4m1y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/536656/original/file-20230710-21-6w4m1y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=274&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536656/original/file-20230710-21-6w4m1y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=274&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536656/original/file-20230710-21-6w4m1y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=274&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536656/original/file-20230710-21-6w4m1y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=344&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536656/original/file-20230710-21-6w4m1y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=344&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536656/original/file-20230710-21-6w4m1y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=344&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">‘Bridal Barbie’ and ‘Cheerleader Barbie’ march in a parade before a drag event in Washington, D.C., in 2010.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/bridal-and-cheerleader-barbie-made-their-way-along-the-news-photo/106154978?adppopup=true">Mark Gail/The Washington Post via Getty Images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Barbie in the zeitgeist</h2>
<p>“Barbie” feels poised to tap into our current cultural moment, one in which conservative anti-feminist backlash is fueling the backsliding of generations of feminist gains. Meanwhile, LGBTQ+ people face unprecedented levels of both <a href="https://glaad.org/glaads-2021-2022-where-we-are-tv-report-lgbtq-representation-reaches-new-record-highs/">visibility</a> and <a href="https://bjs.ojp.gov/library/publications/violent-victimization-sexual-orientation-and-gender-identity-2017-2020">violence</a>. The world’s having new cultural conversations about gender and sexuality.</p>
<p>Since coming out as queer several years ago, I have seen my relationship with my own femininity become considerably less fraught. Thanks in large part to the insights of feminists like Serano and Butler, I’m coming around to the recognition that performances of femininity can exist for purposes other than snagging a man. </p>
<p>I won’t pretend to have completely broken free from my decades of internalized femmephobia. But when “Barbie” gets to my local movie theater, you’d better believe that my daughter and I will be first in line.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/208730/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Carol Hay does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Barbie has long functioned as a proxy onto which cultural aspirations and anxieties about womanhood are projected.Carol Hay, Professor of Philosophy, UMass LowellLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2096012023-07-17T04:42:27Z2023-07-17T04:42:27ZIn a Barbie world … after the movie frenzy fades, how do we avoid tonnes of Barbie dolls going to landfill?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/537662/original/file-20230717-152675-bv3ct.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C2966%2C2365&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>It made headlines around the world when the much-hyped Barbie movie contributed to a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/2023/jun/05/barbie-film-required-so-much-pink-paint-it-contributed-to-worldwide-shortage">world shortage</a> of fluorescent pink paint. </p>
<p>But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. When movies or TV shows become cultural phenomena, toymakers jump on board. And that comes with a surprisingly large amount of plastic waste. Think of the fad for <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/business-51554386">Baby Yoda dolls</a> after the first season of The Mandalorian in 2020. When the Barbie movie comes out this week, it’s bound to trigger a wave of doll purchases over and above the <a href="https://environment-review.yale.edu/most-materials-are-recyclable-so-why-cant-childrens-toys-be-sustainable">60 million Barbies</a> already sold annually. </p>
<p>Toys are the most plastic-intensive consumer goods in the world, <a href="https://wedocs.unep.org/bitstream/handle/20.500.11822/25302/Valuing_Plastic_ES.pdf">according to</a> a 2014 United Nations Environment Program report. </p>
<p>Worse, very few toys are recycled. That’s often because they can’t be – they’re made of a complex mixture of plastics, metals and electronics. When children get bored, these toys often end up in landfill. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/537652/original/file-20230717-226753-f52ks8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="barbie dolls market" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/537652/original/file-20230717-226753-f52ks8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/537652/original/file-20230717-226753-f52ks8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/537652/original/file-20230717-226753-f52ks8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/537652/original/file-20230717-226753-f52ks8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/537652/original/file-20230717-226753-f52ks8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/537652/original/file-20230717-226753-f52ks8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/537652/original/file-20230717-226753-f52ks8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Plastic fantastic: Barbie dolls for sale at an open air market in Thailand.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Panya Anakotmankong/Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>The toll of the dolls</h2>
<p>Consider a single Barbie doll. What did it cost to create? </p>
<p>Before the US-China trade war, <a href="https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/The-Big-Story/China-s-toy-making-capital-scrambles-to-reinvent-itself">half the world’s toys</a> were manufactured in Dongguan, a city in China. That included one in three Barbie dolls. </p>
<p>American researchers <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2352550922000550">last year quantified</a> what each doll costs the climate. Every 182 gram doll caused about 660 grams of carbon emissions, including plastic production, manufacture and transport. </p>
<p>The researchers analysed seven other types of toys, including Lego sets and Jenga. By my calculations, emissions on average across all these types of toys are about 4.5 kilograms per kilogram of toys.</p>
<p>Scaled up, this is considerable. In the US, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/oct/21/plastics-greenhouse-gas-emissions-climate-crisis">it’s estimated</a> emissions from the plastics industry will overtake those from coal within seven years. </p>
<p>So the question is, how can we cut our emissions to zero as fast as possible to ensure we and our children have a liveable climate – without putting a blanket ban on plastic toys? After all, toys and entertainment add happiness to our lives. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-marketing-tricks-that-have-kept-barbies-brand-alive-for-over-60-years-200844">The marketing tricks that have kept Barbie's brand alive for over 60 years</a>
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</em>
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<h2>The role for toymakers and governments</h2>
<p>To date, there has been little focus on making the toy industry more sustainable. But it shouldn’t escape our notice. </p>
<p>Toy manufacturers can – and should – use low carbon materials and supply chains, and focus on making toys easily dissembled. Toys should be as light as possible, to minimise transport emissions. And battery-powered toys should be avoided wherever possible, as they <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2352550922000550">can double</a> a toy’s climate impact and turn a plastic waste problem into an electronic waste problem. To their credit, some toymakers <a href="https://time.com/6126981/my-kids-want-plastic-toys-i-want-to-go-green-heres-a-fix/">have cut back</a> on plastic in their packaging, given packaging immediately becomes waste. </p>
<p>In a welcome move, the maker of Barbie, Mattel, launched their own recycling scheme in 2021, allowing buyers to send back old toys to be turned into new ones. This scheme isn’t available in Australia, however. </p>
<p>Toymakers can help at the design stage by choosing the materials they use carefully. Governments can encourage this by penalising cheap, high-environmental-impact plastics. We can look to the <a href="https://www.clientearth.org/latest/press-office/press-list/eu-court-delivers-final-blow-to-plastics-industry-on-bpa/">European</a> and American bans on BPA-containing plastics in infant milk bottles as an example of what’s possible. Governments can set up effective recovery and recycling systems able to handle toys. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/537656/original/file-20230717-226753-b71osm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="plastic toys rubbish" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/537656/original/file-20230717-226753-b71osm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/537656/original/file-20230717-226753-b71osm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/537656/original/file-20230717-226753-b71osm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/537656/original/file-20230717-226753-b71osm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/537656/original/file-20230717-226753-b71osm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/537656/original/file-20230717-226753-b71osm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/537656/original/file-20230717-226753-b71osm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Toys can easily become waste.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Some plastic-dependent brands such as Lego are unilaterally moving away from petrochemical-based plastic in favour of sugarcane-based plastic. But it’s not a <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/lego-sustainable-bricks/">short-term project</a>. </p>
<p>While Barbie dolls had an <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-02-24/barbie-s-pandemic-sales-boom-followed-yearslong-revamp-at-mattel">uptick in popularity</a> during the pandemic years – and will no doubt have another surge alongside the movie – longer-term trends are dampening plastic toy impact. While movies in the 1980s were often “<a href="https://www.dictionary.com/browse/toyetic?s=t">toyetic</a>” – conceived with an eye to toy sales – the trend is on the wane. </p>
<p>Gaming, for instance, has moved to centre stage for many older children. While gaming produces e-waste streams, it is also a likely cause of the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/2018/apr/05/lights-camera-but-no-action-figures-are-movie-toys-going-out-of-fashion">longer-term fall</a> in popularity of plastic toys. </p>
<h2>What should we do?</h2>
<p>If you’re a parent or an indulgent grandparent, it’s hard to avoid buying toys entirely – especially if your child gets obsessed with Barbie dolls after seeing the movie. So what should you do? </p>
<p>For starters, we can avoid cheap and nasty toys which are likely to break very quickly. Instead, look for toys which will last – and which will lend themselves to longer-term creative play. Think of the enduring popularity of brick-based toys or magnetic tiles. Look for secondhand toys. And look for toys made of simpler materials able to be recycled at the end of their lives – or even for the Barbie dolls made out of <a href="https://www.today.com/shop/mattel-barbie-doll-recycled-plastic-t221461">ocean plastics</a>. </p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-to-find-the-most-sustainable-and-long-lasting-childrens-toys-125968">How to find the most sustainable and long-lasting children's toys</a>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/209601/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Alan Pears does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Toys are the most plastic-intensive consumer goods in the world. So how can we avoid movie tie-in fads adding to the surging plastic waste problem?Alan Pears, Senior Industry Fellow, RMIT UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2044272023-07-03T11:50:55Z2023-07-03T11:50:55ZWhy are some Beanie Babies worth more than others? Prices for collectibles are about supply and demand<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/529648/original/file-20230601-27-v2vms0.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=7%2C4%2C1590%2C1192&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">From limited editions to spelling errors, only the rarest Beanie Babies are worth money.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://flickr.com/photos/housingworksauctions/432628528">iStock</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span></figcaption></figure><figure class="align-left ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/281719/original/file-20190628-76743-26slbc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/281719/original/file-20190628-76743-26slbc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=293&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/281719/original/file-20190628-76743-26slbc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=293&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/281719/original/file-20190628-76743-26slbc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=293&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/281719/original/file-20190628-76743-26slbc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=368&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/281719/original/file-20190628-76743-26slbc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=368&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/281719/original/file-20190628-76743-26slbc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=368&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption"></span>
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<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/us/topics/curious-kids-us-74795">Curious Kids</a> is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, send it to <a href="mailto:curiouskidsus@theconversation.com">curiouskidsus@theconversation.com</a>.</em></p>
<hr>
<blockquote>
<p><strong>Why are some Beanie Babies worth more than others? – Theo R., age 8, Rockford, Illinois</strong></p>
</blockquote>
<hr>
<p>Most Beanie Babies are not worth much money. A new one at the store might be priced as low as US$5, depending on its size. If you buy a new Floppity the rabbit or Hissy the snake today and try to resell it tomorrow, you will likely lose money. That’s because Beanie Babies are made in large enough quantities that anyone who wants one can get one.</p>
<p>Still, every so often, a Beanie Baby resells for a lot of money. It’s not always easy to know when this happens, because many transactions are private, and not every for-sale listing leads to an actual purchase. Still, some Babies seem to have traded online for <a href="https://www.actionnetwork.com/news/most-expensive-beanie-babies-sales-2021">hundreds or even thousands of dollars</a> in recent years. You might wonder why.</p>
<p><a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=aMoG0UkAAAAJ">I study the prices</a> of things people like to collect, such as paintings, diamonds and wine. The reason a particular Beanie Baby – or anything, really – can sell for a high price is because, when an item is attractive but rare or difficult to get, it becomes more valuable. Economists describe this situation as the demand being greater than the supply. </p>
<h2>Beanie bubble</h2>
<p>Beanie Babies were launched in 1993 by a toy company called Ty. In the late 1990s, <a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/313121/the-great-beanie-baby-bubble-by-zac-bissonnette/">some people went nuts</a> for these plush toys. The craze started with <a href="https://www.realclearmarkets.com/2019/10/09/a_look_back_at_the_beanie_baby_bubble_227222.html">collectors in the Chicago suburbs but quickly spread</a> – helped by the rise of online auction websites such as eBay. Collecting Beanie Babies became a fad not just among kids who thought they were cute or wanted to play with them, but also among adults who thought the plushies offered a way to get rich quick.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/527054/original/file-20230518-15-dksmo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Close-up of a table with a small stuffed animal in a clear plastic case in the middle. On either side, hands exchange US dollars." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/527054/original/file-20230518-15-dksmo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/527054/original/file-20230518-15-dksmo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=392&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/527054/original/file-20230518-15-dksmo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=392&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/527054/original/file-20230518-15-dksmo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=392&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/527054/original/file-20230518-15-dksmo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=493&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/527054/original/file-20230518-15-dksmo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=493&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/527054/original/file-20230518-15-dksmo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=493&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A successful bidder pays $200 for a Princess Beanie Baby during a Beanie Baby auction at a California mall in 1998. The auction attracted hundreds of people who stood in line starting at 3 a.m. for the chance to bid.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/BeanieBeaniesAuction/56d17d8970774dc28ff4519d41af0cb9">AP Photo/John Hayes</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>As more and more people started looking for certain Beanie Babies – especially those Ty had produced only in very limited quantities – resale prices went up. A bear given to Ty’s employees for Christmas quickly started selling for <a href="https://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2015/03/02/beanie-baby-bubble">more than $5,000 on eBay</a>. </p>
<p>Some buyers believed collecting Beanie Babies was a great way to make money. They bought at high prices, thinking they could resell at even higher prices. </p>
<p>Economists call this a bubble. A bubble is when a lot of enthusiastic people buy a particular thing at prices that far exceed its true value. It’s happened <a href="https://fortunly.com/infographics/historical-financial-bubbles-infographic/">many times throughout history</a>, with everything from companies to gold to artworks.</p>
<p>The hype about Beanie Babies started to cool down at the turn of the century, as collectors began to realize that many of the stuffed animals were not scarce after all. When people started to sell their collections, <a href="https://thehustle.co/the-great-beanie-baby-bubble-of-99/">prices fell even further</a>. </p>
<h2>Rarity makes a Beanie worth more</h2>
<p>Today, only a tiny fraction of Beanie Babies are worth something. Their value has nothing to do with how nice they look or how much fun they are to play with. Valuable Beanie Babies are simply the ones that are very rare.</p>
<p>For example, Ty sometimes made small batches of animals with slightly different materials. Ty also gradually changed the tag – the heart-shaped paper attached to the animal’s head with its name. The Babies with the <a href="https://www.lovetoknow.com/home/antiques-collectibles/value-beanie-babies">oldest tags are typically more valuable</a>. Occasionally, Ty <a href="http://www.aboutbeanies.com/Tag_Errors.shtml">goofed with the spelling</a> on the tags. For example, Pinchers the lobster was <a href="https://nerdable.com/beanie-baby-tag-errors-to-look-out-for/">for a short time labeled as “Punchers.</a>” </p>
<p>To be worth money, rare Beanie Babies must also be in perfect condition. In fact, the most valuable animals have never been played with: they look brand-new, still have their tags and are stored in plastic cases.</p>
<p>This is similar for other collectibles. The most expensive bottles of wine or postage stamps are the ones that are old, rare and have never been opened or used. Rarity and condition are very important in determining the price of lots of collectibles, including Pokémon and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/joie.12262">Magic: The Gathering cards</a>, as well as <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/13/technology/heritage-auctions-vintage-videocassettes.html">videocassettes</a> and sports memorabilia.</p>
<h2>Beanie Babies’ value is what people will pay</h2>
<p>It’s a little hard to know what rare Beanie Babies are worth now, because every toy is different and prices vary widely.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/527081/original/file-20230518-25-a06z7v.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Screen shot of an eBay listing for $11,000 of a Patti the platypus Beanie Baby" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/527081/original/file-20230518-25-a06z7v.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/527081/original/file-20230518-25-a06z7v.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=314&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/527081/original/file-20230518-25-a06z7v.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=314&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/527081/original/file-20230518-25-a06z7v.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=314&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/527081/original/file-20230518-25-a06z7v.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=394&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/527081/original/file-20230518-25-a06z7v.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=394&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/527081/original/file-20230518-25-a06z7v.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=394&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">An owner can list a Beanie Baby for any price on a site like eBay, but that doesn’t mean a buyer will pay that much.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Screen capture by The Conversation</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Just because someone lists their <a href="https://www.ebay.com/itm/394419857304">Patti the platypus for $11,000</a> doesn’t mean a buyer will come forward to pay that amount for it. The best way to learn about the current value of something is to look at recent sales of items that are very similar. </p>
<p>Even if some Beanie Babies are worth a lot of money today, nobody knows if they will keep their value in the future. It’s possible a new toy will come along that people like better. </p>
<p>The truth is, <a href="http://doi.org/10.1257/aer.20160522">prices of all collectibles fluctuate over time</a>, as people’s tastes – and their beliefs about other people’s tastes – change. The value of anything is what other people are willing to pay for it. </p>
<hr>
<p><em>Hello, curious kids! Do you have a question you’d like an expert to answer? Ask an adult to send your question to <a href="mailto:curiouskidsus@theconversation.com">CuriousKidsUS@theconversation.com</a>. Please tell us your name, age and the city where you live.</em></p>
<p><em>And since curiosity has no age limit – adults, let us know what you’re wondering, too. We won’t be able to answer every question, but we will do our best.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/204427/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Christophe Spaenjers does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>An expert in high-end collectibles explains why certain items can become valuable – and also how they can lose worth.Christophe Spaenjers, Associate Professor of Finance, University of Colorado BoulderLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2061782023-06-09T01:10:50Z2023-06-09T01:10:50Z‘No, I still want that!’ How to help kids let go of old toys and stuff they no longer need<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/530259/original/file-20230606-17-2z6arh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=8%2C0%2C5455%2C3637&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/offended-african-american-preschooler-girl-looking-1222838167">Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>In any household with children there is an inevitable accumulation of possessions. Birthdays, Christmas, the celebration events like sporting victories and random impulse buys bring in a stream of toys, clothes and other stuff.</p>
<p>But getting rid of these possessions is another story. While some children can be convinced to send their old toys to the op shop, or give clothes that are too small to younger friends to wear, other kids really struggle.</p>
<p>Here’s why it’s so difficult and how parents and guardians can help. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/time-for-a-kondo-clean-out-heres-what-clutter-does-to-your-brain-and-body-109947">Time for a Kondo clean-out? Here's what clutter does to your brain and body</a>
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</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Why help your kids learn to let go of possessions?</h2>
<p>The obvious reason is to avoid clutter. For people who value their home being tidy, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2021.101553">research shows clutter can negatively impact</a> their mood and wellbeing. However, the definition of what constitutes a cluttered space varies dramatically across people.</p>
<p>In extreme cases, children can develop a <a href="https://childmind.org/article/hoarding-in-children/">hoarding disorder</a> if they consistently struggle letting go of items, and having to do so causes them a lot of distress. </p>
<p>The psychological act of letting go of possessions has similarities with getting over other things, such as thwarted expectations (such as an event being cancelled), or getting over a relationship breakdown. Cultivating an ability to let go of possessions in childhood <a href="https://www.buzzfeed.com/letgo/why-is-it-so-hard-to-let-go-of-old-things">may have positive implications</a> well beyond simply avoiding clutter.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Loungeroom filled with messy toys" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/530257/original/file-20230606-22-1083yh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/530257/original/file-20230606-22-1083yh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/530257/original/file-20230606-22-1083yh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/530257/original/file-20230606-22-1083yh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/530257/original/file-20230606-22-1083yh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/530257/original/file-20230606-22-1083yh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/530257/original/file-20230606-22-1083yh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Are kids’ toys taking over your house?</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/adorable-toddlers-playing-among-many-toys-2124981176">Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>When and why do kids become attached to possessions?</h2>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2020.07.023">Attachment to objects</a> begins in a child’s first year of life. Infants can become distressed when blankets and teddy bears are removed. Researchers view this early attachment behaviour as the objects acting as a comforting parental substitute in between parental contact.</p>
<p>As children get older, through early childhood into early teens, a sense of comfort remains as one of the primary reasons behind attachment to possessions. However, the type of comfort can become <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/03004430.2020.1841756">more complex as the child ages</a>.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/when-should-you-worry-about-your-childs-attachment-to-comfort-items-91371">When should you worry about your child's attachment to comfort items?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Over time, children may come to treat a toy as a unique individual. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cognition.2007.01.012">In one clever study</a>, children were presented with a “duplicating machine” based on a simple conjuring trick. They could either choose to have a copy of their toy, or have their original toy returned. Children were more likely to request their original toy be returned instead of the new copy, indicating a level of attachment to the original toy.</p>
<p>Some toys take on a kind of “friend” status. Interacting with toys in this way is believed to have <a href="https://www.parents.com/toddlers-preschoolers/development/social/first-friends-toddlers-and-stuffed-animals/">benefits for psychological and social development</a>. It’s easy to imagine how parting with something viewed in such a manner might be a challenge.</p>
<p>Possessions can also <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2352250X20301597">act as memory cues</a>. That old, now ill-fitting and faded t-shirt they are reluctant to throw out might be serving as a reminder of how special and loved they felt at their birthday party.</p>
<p>Just like adults, children can fall into the “<a href="https://simplelionheartlife.com/just-in-case-clutter/">I might need this later</a>” trap. For example, a child that used to love colouring but has since moved onto different hobbies might still be reluctant to throw out the old crayons just in case.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Colourful crayons" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/530258/original/file-20230606-27-5endiw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/530258/original/file-20230606-27-5endiw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/530258/original/file-20230606-27-5endiw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/530258/original/file-20230606-27-5endiw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/530258/original/file-20230606-27-5endiw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/530258/original/file-20230606-27-5endiw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/530258/original/file-20230606-27-5endiw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Like adults, children hold onto things ‘just in case’ they need them again.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/colorful-crayons-placed-on-new-page-289880336">Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>So what can you do?</h2>
<p>First, try to model the behaviour you would like your child to perform. If you have trouble letting go of your own possessions, they will be less likely to see the need to throw away their stuff.</p>
<p>Next, talk with the child about their underlying motivations behind their resistance to let go – and help them deal with their mental blocks.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-to-get-your-kids-to-talk-about-their-feelings-194336">How to get your kids to talk about their feelings</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p><strong>For a possession that feels like a friend</strong>, you might encourage them to concentrate on their other toys that are also special. Help them understand relationships can end, and that’s OK. There are new relationships they can have. Take a gradual approach and encourage them to donate their toy when they are ready. This can help them feel they are not disposing of their toy altogether. The toy continues to exist, just with someone else.</p>
<p><strong>For a possession that is helping them remember good times</strong> with sentimental value, remind them those good times will still have happened. There are other ways to keep memories alive, such as photos, or reminiscing with loved ones.</p>
<p><strong>For “I might need this later”</strong>, one strategy is to take away the concern that underpins the resistance. Tell them “you can get another one if need be in the future”. Chances are it won’t happen.</p>
<p>There are going to be other reasons and motivations beyond those above, so take a targeted approach. Do this by communicating with your child to understand their point of view. Then tailor your strategy to best alleviate the specific concerns they have. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/530262/original/file-20230606-25-ysvc6h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/530262/original/file-20230606-25-ysvc6h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/530262/original/file-20230606-25-ysvc6h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/530262/original/file-20230606-25-ysvc6h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/530262/original/file-20230606-25-ysvc6h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/530262/original/file-20230606-25-ysvc6h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/530262/original/file-20230606-25-ysvc6h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Try to understand what’s behind your child’s resistance to letting something go.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/having-good-time-skate-park-635789831">Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Try to avoid only lamenting about the mess, which might backfire if the child starts harbouring feelings of guilt and resentment about letting go of their possessions. </p>
<p>Instead, finding out the underlying reasons for their reluctance will allow you to work with them to deal with those thoughts and emotions.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/206178/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>While some children can be convinced to send their old toys to the op shop, or give clothes to younger friends to wear, other kids really struggle. Here’s why – and how parents and guardians can help.Shane Rogers, Lecturer in Psychology, Edith Cowan UniversityNatalie Gately, Senior Lecturer and Researcher, Edith Cowan UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2048732023-05-19T12:40:40Z2023-05-19T12:40:40ZTalking puppy or finger puppet? 5 tips for buying baby toys that support healthy development<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/525990/original/file-20230512-25-2f6227.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Tech toys may claim to be educational – but those claims often aren't backed by science. </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/cute-little-boy-playing-with-a-railroad-train-toy-royalty-free-image/1281267794">boonchai wedmakawand/Moment Collection/Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Picking out a baby toy – whether it’s for your own child or a friend’s kid or the child of a family member – can be overwhelming. Although Americans spend <a href="https://www.statista.com/outlook/dmo/ecommerce/toys-hobby-diy/toys-baby/united-states">US$20 billion</a> a year on baby toys, it’s difficult to know which toy will be fun, educational and developmentally appropriate. The options seem endless, with search results at common retail sites in the hundreds, if not thousands. Is price a reliable indicator of quality? Are technological enhancements useful? </p>
<p>Our <a href="https://www.museumofplay.org/app/uploads/2023/04/15-1-Article-2-Transforming-Toybox.pdf">peer-reviewed study</a> – published in the American Journal of Play in April 2023 – surveyed the toy market for babies and toddlers age 0-2 at two major U.S. national retailers, with an eye toward differences between battery-powered toys, like the <a href="https://store.leapfrog.com/en-us/store/p/speak-learn-puppy/_/A-prod80-610100">LeapFrog Speak and Learn Puppy</a>, and traditional toys, such as the <a href="https://www.homefurniturelife.com/shop/magic-years-jungle-animals-finger-puppets-4-pc-set/">Magic Years Jungle Finger Puppet</a>. </p>
<p>We found significant differences between these two toy types in terms of how they’re marketed – with more traditional toys marketed as supporting physical development and more technological toys aimed at cognitive development. However, these companies do not always have researchers investigating whether the toys actually help children learn.</p>
<p>As <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=KhghzJQAAAAJ&view_op=list_works&sortby=pubdate">researchers who study toys</a> and <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=5KTeq2UAAAAJ&hl=en">how children learn and play</a>, we offer five tips before you buy your next baby toy.</p>
<h2>1. Consider your goal</h2>
<p>When purchasing a toy, consider whether you have any particular developmental goal in mind. For instance, do you want your baby to develop fine motor skills by playing with a <a href="https://reachformontessori.com/busy-boards/">busy board</a>, or to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/mono.12280">practice spatial skills</a> by building a block tower? </p>
<h2>2. Look for open-ended toys</h2>
<p>Many parents and caregivers know that children often <a href="https://theconversation.com/when-kids-like-the-box-more-than-the-toy-the-benefits-of-playing-with-everyday-objects-202301">love playing with the box</a> more than the toy inside it. One reason is that boxes are open-ended toys – they can become anything a young child dreams up. Conversely, a toy cellphone directs the type of play much more rigidly. </p>
<p>A good rule of thumb is to choose toys that require <a href="https://www.brookings.edu/blog/education-plus-development/2018/12/10/the-science-of-toys-a-guide-for-the-perplexed-shopper/">90% activity from the child and only about 10% input from the toy</a>. For example, infants can explore a set of realistic miniature animals sensorially – usually by putting them in their mouths – and then later use them for pretend play, or even to create animal footprints in play dough. Contrast this experience with a large plastic elephant that needs to sit on the floor and lights up and makes elephant sounds. Here, a child is limited in play, with the goal being to make the object light up or play a sound. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Father and young son play together with toy cars" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/526565/original/file-20230516-27-epnrbq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/526565/original/file-20230516-27-epnrbq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/526565/original/file-20230516-27-epnrbq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/526565/original/file-20230516-27-epnrbq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/526565/original/file-20230516-27-epnrbq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/526565/original/file-20230516-27-epnrbq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/526565/original/file-20230516-27-epnrbq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Parents tend to talk to kids more when they play together with traditional toys versus tech toys.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/cute-little-african-kid-son-playing-toy-cars-with-royalty-free-image/1158481693">iStock / Getty Images Plus</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>3. Recognize gender biases</h2>
<p>Several major retailers have <a href="https://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-target-gender-labeling-20150810-story.html">removed gender-based toy sections</a> over the past decade, opting for “kids” instead of “boys” and “girls.” </p>
<p>However, if you enter the store of one of those major toy retailers today, you will still find some aisles filled with pink toys and dolls, while other aisles feature monster trucks and primary-colored blocks. A toy sword might not be labeled as “for boys,” yet shoppers often perceive it that way based on <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-017-0858-4">their own gender socialization and beliefs</a>. If you look only in certain aisles or at stereotypical toys, you might miss out on toys that your child would enjoy regardless of gender. </p>
<h2>4. Be wary of marketing claims</h2>
<p>The makers of tech toys often make claims about their educational potential that are not backed by science. For example, an electronic shape sorter might claim to help children develop emotional skills because the toy says “I love you!” </p>
<p>Be skeptical of such claims, and use your own experience and insights to evaluate the educational potential of a toy. You might read the retailer and manufacturer descriptions, but also see what the toy actually does. If it fosters caregiver-child interactions or helps to develop a specific skill – like how building blocks support spatial skills, and finger puppets build fine motor skills – then it is likely a toy worth considering. </p>
<h2>5. Prioritize human interactions</h2>
<p>Keep in mind that toys are not chiefly designed to create baby geniuses – they are meant to be fun! So think broadly about whether you want a new toy to support physical, social, emotional, cognitive or creative development while keeping it fun. And remember that no toy can replace <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/infa.12378">joyful, high-quality interactions</a> between caregivers and children.</p>
<p>Research suggests that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2018-3348">caregivers are less responsive and communicative</a> when playing with tech toys versus traditional toys with their children. So choosing traditional toys, such as nonelectronic shape sorters and building blocks, may be one way to foster the types of interactions that support healthy development.</p>
<p>Overall, research suggests that, in most cases, traditional toys provide <a href="https://www.doi.org/10.1542/peds.2018-3348">better interactions and experiences</a> than technological toys. When purchasing a toy, think through the experiences you want the baby in your life to have, think broadly about the goals of a particular toy, try to provide opportunities for <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01124">high-quality interactions</a> and remember to have fun.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/204873/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jennifer M. Zosh has consulted for the Lego Group. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Brenna Hassinger-Das does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Two experts on children’s play explain why you should be skeptical of toys that are advertised as being educational, and what to look for instead.Brenna Hassinger-Das, Assistant Professor of Psychology, Pace University Jennifer M. Zosh, Professor of Human Development and Family Studies, Penn StateLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2023012023-04-18T20:02:44Z2023-04-18T20:02:44ZWhen kids like the box more than the toy: The benefits of playing with everyday objects<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/521611/original/file-20230418-1223-8sess3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=658%2C77%2C3604%2C3037&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">If children love boxes and other upcycled items, do parents really need to invest in 'eco toys'? </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Many have observed that sometimes when given a toy as a present, <a href="https://theconversation.com/heres-why-young-children-often-prefer-wrapping-paper-and-boxes-to-actual-presents-70671">children play with the box the toy came in, or even the gift wrapping</a>.</p>
<p>In earlier generations, children’s play materials were often homemade or relatively simple. Commercial or hand-made toys were made from durable and long-lasting materials. </p>
<p>Today, mass-produced plastic toys with <a href="https://books.google.ca/books?hl=en&lr=&id=ueQUEAAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA25&dq=Sluss,+2021+play+materials&ots=uHtTVA0FaS&sig=3Tyyl726iZarZtpM0QqOe13hgjc#v=onepage&q=Sluss%2C%202021%20play%20materials&f=false">limited purpose have permanently entered children’s learning environments</a>. These toys are often designed to be used in specific ways, with limited imaginative play opportunities. </p>
<p>A trend in <a href="https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1120194.pdf">the marketing of</a> sustainable toys coincides both with addressing ecological concerns, and with educational interest in play materials that <a href="https://fairydustteaching.com/2016/10/loose-parts">allow children to play</a> in many ways.</p>
<p>A type of play known by researchers and educators as “loose parts play” <a href="https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1225658.pdf">involves children</a> playing with and re-purposing materials that <a href="https://www.inspiringscotland.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Loose-Parts-Play-Toolkit-2019-web.pdf">can be used in multiple ways</a>. This can include playing with everyday, natural or manufactured parts (like cardboard, sticks, pots and pans, sand or beads not originally intended for play) or with commercial toys like blocks or stackable cups.</p>
<p>The language of <a href="https://ojs.lboro.ac.uk/SDEC/article/view/1204/1171">loose parts</a> to talk about the use of unrestricted items in children’s play was first used by architect Simon Nicholson in the 70s, who discussed a “theory of loose parts” when writing about playground and educational design.</p>
<p>My research with colleagues is examining which materials — including store-bought and natural or upcycled items — are most conducive to specific types of quality play in young children’s environments. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A toddler seen playing with blocks." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/521368/original/file-20230417-24-awxrlw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/521368/original/file-20230417-24-awxrlw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/521368/original/file-20230417-24-awxrlw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/521368/original/file-20230417-24-awxrlw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/521368/original/file-20230417-24-awxrlw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/521368/original/file-20230417-24-awxrlw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/521368/original/file-20230417-24-awxrlw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Through play, children make connections and integrate their experiences.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
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<h2>What is play?</h2>
<p>Play is often defined as an activity pursued <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2004-21781-011">for its own sake and characterized largely by its processes rather than end goals</a>. Although the exact definition of play is debated, <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9680672/">researchers agree it is exceptionally complex</a>.</p>
<p>Play has also been described as an integrating process, <a href="https://www.child-encyclopedia.com/school-readiness/according-experts/role-schools-and-communities-childrens-school-transition">providing an ecosystem where children can make connections between previous experiences</a>, represent their ideas in different ways, imagine possibilities, explore and create new meanings. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/mathematical-thinking-begins-in-the-early-years-with-dialogue-and-real-world-exploration-128282">Mathematical thinking begins in the early years with dialogue and real-world exploration</a>
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<p>Such complexity can be seen in children’s play themes, materials, content, social interactions, and the understandings children demonstrate in their play. </p>
<p>The more complex the play, the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1097/IYC.0b013e31821e995c">more it impacts development</a>. Even a small dose of quality <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780195395761.013.0011">play improves children’s performance on subsequent cognitive development tasks</a>. </p>
<h2>Complex play, skills and benefits</h2>
<p>The skills acquired in play — including overcoming impulses, behaviour control, exploration and discovery, problem-solving, social interaction, and attention to process and outcomes — are foundational <a href="http://www.tojet.net/articles/v18i4/1841.pdf">cognitive structures that also drive learning</a>.</p>
<p>Children’s play themes generally follow the <a href="https://www.exchangepress.com/catalog/product/bridging-research-and-practice-seven-loose-parts-myths-busted/5025634/">ideas inherent in the materials and toys available</a>. </p>
<p>However, as noted, materials and toys used for children’s play <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20190319182447id_/https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/82151298.pdf">have changed significantly over the years</a>, reflecting societal changes, technological advancements and shifts in understanding child development. </p>
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<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/acAv1C4LYVQ?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">How to use stacking cups for speech and language development.</span></figcaption>
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<p>Early learning and child-care communities today widely incorporate loose parts for their perceived potential to offer high-quality play opportunities. Such opportunities allow children to use their <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2012-13642-018">imaginations and explore their surroundings</a> and support children’s cognitive development. </p>
<h2>Education in Canada</h2>
<p>In Canada, Alberta, Manitoba and Nova Scotia’s education guidelines for early childhood explicitly discuss the importance of loose parts play. The Nova Scotia Curriculum, for instance, acknowledges that the use of loose parts encourages “<a href="https://www.ednet.ns.ca/docs/nselcurriculumframework.pdf">creativity and open-ended learning</a>.” </p>
<p>Six other provincial frameworks don’t use the words “loose parts,” but equally stress the importance of this kind of play. While many parents, educators and policy-makers recognize the benefits of involving children in play with loose parts, the basic evidence regarding children’s indoor play with loose materials is unknown. </p>
<p>There are only a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s12310-017-9220-9">handful of empirical studies on indoor loose parts play with limited focus on its developmental benefits</a> beyond children’s physical and social development. Research has narrowly focused on children’s outdoor play with loose parts and mostly on <a href="https://doi.org/10.18357/jcs.v42i4.18103">physical</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/josh.12025">social development</a>. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Children seen with sand and toys." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/521367/original/file-20230417-26-drtsuh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/521367/original/file-20230417-26-drtsuh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/521367/original/file-20230417-26-drtsuh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/521367/original/file-20230417-26-drtsuh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/521367/original/file-20230417-26-drtsuh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/521367/original/file-20230417-26-drtsuh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/521367/original/file-20230417-26-drtsuh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">What is the relationship between children’s indoor play with loose parts and children’s cognitive skills?</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
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<p>Current research has not examined children’s indoor play with loose parts and its relationship to children’s cognitive skills. As a result, educators and policy-makers have little empirical evidence on which to base important decisions about what materials to invest in and integrate into children’s learning environments.</p>
<h2>Equitable play opportunities</h2>
<p>Children from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds start kindergarten disproportionately behind their more affluent and privileged peers in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0663.91.1.116">knowledge and educational performance</a>. </p>
<p>Low-income families <a href="https://www.museumofplay.org/app/uploads/2022/01/5-2-article-the-use-of-play-materials-in-early-intervention_0.pdf">often cannot afford toys</a> for children. Could household objects (like plastic tubs or egg cartons) offer equitable play opportunities for all children, if early childhood programs and professionals supported parents with up-cycling items into play things? </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/coronavirus-spotlights-equity-and-access-issues-with-childrens-right-to-play-137187">Coronavirus spotlights equity and access issues with children's right to play</a>
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<p>My colleagues and I are conducting research to address gaps in our understanding of children’s loose parts play. Specifically, we examine the play types and play engagement levels of children between the ages of four and five who participate in our study. </p>
<p>We also take into account the effects of children’s cognitive development, parental income and education on how young children play with everyday objects, both when they play by themselves and with their parents. </p>
<p>We just finished collecting data in the first phase of our studies focused on children’s solitary play. Children were given opportunities to play with either a box of carefully curated loose parts like blocks, felt balls, yarn, pinecones or a toy that had only a limited function: percussion instruments.</p>
<h2>Cognitive and language development</h2>
<p>We collected data using video recordings of children’s play in two sessions (one with loose parts and the other session with the limited-purpose toy as a control), parent questionnaires and a cognitive measurement tool for benchmarking children’s cognitive and language development. </p>
<p>We are now analyzing crucial relationships between children’s play with different loose objects and children’s cognitive development, and considering key social determinants such as gender, socioeconomic status and maternal education. </p>
<p>Such knowledge will support educators and parents with an understanding of which materials are most conducive to specific types of quality play in young children’s environments.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/202301/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Ozlem Cankaya is affiliated with Terra Centre and Edmonton Council for Early Learning and Child Care. MacEwan University funds Dr. Cankaya's loose parts play research. </span></em></p>How should we understand what toys or ‘loose part’ materials support children’s play, and what’s the relationship of parents’ education and income to this? A study aims to find out.Ozlem Cankaya, Assistant Professor, Early Childhood Curriculum Studies, MacEwan UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2010702023-03-27T12:23:20Z2023-03-27T12:23:20ZWhy don’t parents like their kids to play with toy guns?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/517278/original/file-20230323-28-6zjl2u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=1035%2C1107%2C6237%2C4190&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Even playing with a fake gun comes with risks.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/children-playing-with-water-gun-squirt-in-the-royalty-free-image/1280086198">sarote pruksachat/Moment via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><figure class="align-left ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/281719/original/file-20190628-76743-26slbc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/281719/original/file-20190628-76743-26slbc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=293&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/281719/original/file-20190628-76743-26slbc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=293&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/281719/original/file-20190628-76743-26slbc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=293&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/281719/original/file-20190628-76743-26slbc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=368&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/281719/original/file-20190628-76743-26slbc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=368&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/281719/original/file-20190628-76743-26slbc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=368&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/us/topics/curious-kids-us-74795">Curious Kids</a> is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, send it to <a href="mailto:curiouskidsus@theconversation.com">curiouskidsus@theconversation.com</a>.</em></p>
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<p><strong>Why don’t parents like their kids to play with fake guns? – Henry, age 11, Somerville, Massachusetts</strong></p>
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<p>A major reason parents don’t like kids to play with pretend guns is they’re afraid you’ll get hurt.</p>
<p>It can be hard for others to tell if a gun is real or just a toy. While you and your friends might be able to tell it’s a harmless game, others won’t be so sure. Someone could mistake your toy gun for a real gun, see you as a threat and try to defend themselves, hurting you in the process.</p>
<p><a href="https://wisqars.cdc.gov/reports/?o=MORT&y1=2020&y2=2020&t=0&i=0&m=20890&g=00&me=0&s=0&r=0&e=0&yp=65&a=5Yr&g1=0&g2=15&a1=0&a2=199&r1=INTENT&r2=NONE&r3=NONE&r4=NONE">Hundreds of children die because of gun violence each year</a> in the United States. Because of these numbers, people like us – <a href="https://epi.washington.edu/faculty/rivara-frederick/">a pediatrician</a> who has worked on firearm violence for 40 years and a <a href="https://psychiatry.uw.edu/profile/laura-prater/">firearm injury prevention researcher</a> – are very concerned about firearms that are not stored properly and the injuries they can cause.</p>
<p>Some of the toy guns available for kids and parents to buy look very much like real guns, including pistols and rifles. Because these toys look so real, kids who come across a real gun may not realize it’s dangerous and not a toy. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.107.6.1247">They may pick it up, fiddle around with it</a>, point it at a friend or themselves and pull the trigger. <a href="https://wisqars.cdc.gov/reports/?o=MORT&y1=2020&y2=2020&t=0&i=0&m=20890&g=00&me=0&s=0&r=0&e=0&yp=65&a=5Yr&g1=0&g2=15&a1=0&a2=199&r1=INTENT&r2=NONE&r3=NONE&r4=NONE">More than 100 children are killed</a> each year in the U.S. because they or a friend were handling a gun that unintentionally went off.</p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/517279/original/file-20230323-2435-yuecbw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="boy playing with colorful water gun" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/517279/original/file-20230323-2435-yuecbw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/517279/original/file-20230323-2435-yuecbw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/517279/original/file-20230323-2435-yuecbw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/517279/original/file-20230323-2435-yuecbw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/517279/original/file-20230323-2435-yuecbw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/517279/original/file-20230323-2435-yuecbw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/517279/original/file-20230323-2435-yuecbw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Certain kinds of games and play can influence how kids try to solve real world problems.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/boy-in-park-shooting-pump-action-water-pistol-royalty-free-image/103579216">moodboard/Image Source via Getty Images</a></span>
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<h2>Violent games encourage violence</h2>
<p>Playing with toy guns can also affect the way you interact with the world and think about how to solve problems. Researchers have found that just seeing weapons can make people act more aggressively – this is called the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037//0022-3514.58.4.622">weapons effect</a>, and it applies to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapediatrics.2013.3824">toy guns</a>. After watching a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapediatrics.2017.2229">movie that contains a lot of gun violence</a>, kids tend to be more interested in playing with guns, too. These are reasons parents may want to limit kids’ exposure to movies and TV shows that feature guns and prefer for kids to play with nonweapon toys.</p>
<p>Playing games that involve violence can make you <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chc.2021.06.005">more comfortable with violence and aggression</a>. Kids can even <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adolescence.2003.10.002">become more violent themselves</a>. Researchers have found that kids who play a lot of violent video games tend to show more <a href="https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2019.4319">signs of aggression</a> than those who don’t play them.</p>
<p>We worry that kids who play a lot of shooting video games and with toy guns will believe that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jesp.2013.09.004">settling arguments with violence and guns</a> is the right thing to do, when there are more constructive ways to resolve disputes.</p>
<h2>Real guns are not toys</h2>
<p>Adults who have firearms at home have a responsibility to keep them locked up and to prevent anyone from inappropriately accessing and using them. But some people who have firearms <a href="https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.1447">don’t lock them up</a>. Or they keep them loaded with ammunition, which is very unsafe. It is always best to treat a gun as if it is real and loaded.</p>
<p><a href="https://kidshealth.org/en/kids/gun-safety.html">What should kids do</a> if they find a firearm in their home or at a friend’s? The answer is very simple: Do not touch it. Leave it alone and tell an adult – even if you think it may be a toy. Checking it out yourself may cause the gun to go off accidentally and hurt someone if it turns out to be real.</p>
<p>The same is true at school. If you find a gun or hear classmates talking about a firearm, tell a teacher. Even if you worry your friends will get mad, telling a teacher could help prevent a serious or even deadly injury.</p>
<p>Parents who are responsible gun owners will teach their children about gun safety and how to handle and shoot them safely. But if you’re a school-age kid, you should never handle a gun by yourself.</p>
<p>Playing with or handling guns – real or fake – is dangerous and can be deadly.</p>
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<p><em>Hello, curious kids! Do you have a question you’d like an expert to answer? Ask an adult to send your question to <a href="mailto:curiouskidsus@theconversation.com">CuriousKidsUS@theconversation.com</a>. Please tell us your name, age and the city where you live.</em></p>
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<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Frederick Rivara receives funding from NIH. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Laura Prater does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Even fake guns can be dangerous if they are mistaken for real ones by the police or other armed adults.Frederick Rivara, Professor of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of WashingtonLaura Prater, Research Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, University of WashingtonLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2008442023-03-08T19:39:37Z2023-03-08T19:39:37ZThe marketing tricks that have kept Barbie’s brand alive for over 60 years<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/514011/original/file-20230307-16-wetih1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=235%2C84%2C3687%2C2547&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/penang-malaysia-26-dec-2018-barbie-1286874817">TY Lim/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Rejected by the toy industry <a href="https://time.com/4197596/barbies-triumphs-and-controveries-57-years-of-highs-and-lows/">at first</a>, Barbie is now one of America’s <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/brandspark-most-trusted-brands-america-2022">most trusted brands</a>. “She” – the 11.5 inch blonde doll, but also her brand persona – generated worldwide sales of around <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/370361/gross-sales-of-mattel-s-barbie-brand/">US$1.5 billion</a> (£1.3 billion) in 2022, and has a <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/1009126/barbie-brand-value-worldwide/">brand value</a> of US$590 million.</p>
<p>Barbie debuted on March 9 1959 at the New York International Toy Fair as Barbie Teenage Fashion Model. Sixty-four years later, the doll continues to be the subject of cultural, sociological and psychological interest. By creating an <a href="https://books.google.co.uk/books/about/How_Brands_Become_Icons.html?id=thiThfWnZ6UC&redir_esc=y">iconic brand</a> with special meaning for fans of all ages (<a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2023/01/12/business/barbie-for-preschoolers/index.html">Barbie is marketed to children aged three and older</a>), toy company Mattel has successfully extended the lifecycle of the Barbie brand for well over half a century. </p>
<p>Barbie is also a polarising figure. The brand embodies the notion of a “<a href="https://scholars.unh.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1422&context=law_facpub">double bind</a>”, celebrated as an inspirational role model while at the same time <a href="https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4164067">blamed</a> for creating unrealistic expectations of women, particularly when it comes to how they should look. </p>
<p>But while most toys remain popular for only two or three years, Barbie’s long-term success reflects Mattel’s responsiveness and adaptability to the changing cultural and political discourse in society and around this doll. So how has the company done it?</p>
<h2>A Barbie girl, in a Barbie world</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/0267257X.2013.764346">Research shows</a> there are many ways to build and sustain brand characters, but Mattel has used a <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Stephen-Brown-9/publication/233625831_Where_the_wild_brands_are_Some_thoughts_on_anthropomorphic_marketing/links/59cdf88fa6fdcce3b34b5cb8/Where-the-wild-brands-are-Some-thoughts-on-anthropomorphic-marketing.pdf?_sg%5B0%5D=started_experiment_milestone&origin=journalDetail&_rtd=e30%3D">“multiply” strategy</a> for Barbie. This has involved introducing other characters that play supporting roles in Barbie’s “world”.</p>
<p>Over the years, these supporting acts were introduced to portray Barbie’s relationship with friends and family. First there was Ken (1961), Barbie’s boyfriend, then her younger sister Skipper (1964), followed by friends including Midge (1963) and Christie (1968), the first black Barbie character. </p>
<p>The storylines and individual characteristics of these additional characters connect to Barbie’s persona and increase brand visibility. Mattel has also used storytelling tactics such as announcing that Barbie and Ken had officially broken up on Valentine’s Day in 2004 (<a href="https://ew.com/article/2011/02/14/ken-barbie-back-together-valentines-day/">they got back together in 2011</a>). Such stories resonate with <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/mar.21758">fans’ emotions</a>, sustaining interest in the brand.</p>
<p>These tactics typically work for a while, but how has Mattel sustained true <a href="https://academic.oup.com/jcr/article/46/2/330/5253362?login=false">brand longevity</a> for this long? There are many strategies designed to <a href="https://www.academia.edu/35653109/Managing_brands_for_the_long_run_Brand_reinforcement_and_revitalization_strategies">revitalise mature brands</a>. Mattel successfully extended Barbie’s brand to capture new audiences, drive growth and expand into new types of products beyond dolls.</p>
<p>This is a risky endeavour if the brand is stretched too far. But Barbie’s brand has been successfully extended into other profitable categories such as clothes, accessories, cosmetics and entertainment (music, movies and games). And now, after several computer-animated, direct-to-video and streaming television films, Barbie’s first big budget, live action movie will be released in cinemas in July 2023.</p>
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<p>Early reports suggest the movie – helmed by Oscar-nominee Greta Gerwig, who also directed Little Women (2019) and Lady Bird (2017) – is <a href="https://www.radiox.co.uk/news/tv-film/barbie-release-date-trailer-cast-age-rating-reviews/">likely to be rated PG-13</a>. This is not the “universal” rating you might expect for a film about a popular toy. It hints at another strand of Mattel’s successful Barbie branding strategy: nostalgia.</p>
<h2>Life in plastic, it’s fantastic</h2>
<p>Alongside ongoing efforts to appeal to young girls, Mattel also deliberately <a href="https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781003282303-15/creating-collecting-curating-emily-aguil%C3%B3-p%C3%A9rez">targets older consumers</a>. Specific objects – not just toys but clothes, food such as sweets, or even items like vinyl records – can give a physical form to a set of attitudes, relationships and circumstances for people. This evokes a powerful <a href="https://www.acrwebsite.org/volumes/12098/volumes/sv06/SV%C3%A2%E2%82%AC%2006/full">sense of the past</a>. </p>
<p>This kind of nostalgia <a href="https://www.academia.edu/33508268/SPOKES_CHARACTERS_Creating_Character_Trust_and_Positive_Brand_Attitudes">generates trust</a> and positive attitudes towards a brand, influencing consumer preferences when it comes to choosing between toys. </p>
<p>In addition to the upcoming film, Mattel has attempted to capitalise on the nostalgia Barbie evokes in other ways. It sells more sophisticated designer and limited edition lines of <a href="https://www.thesprucecrafts.com/collectible-barbie-dolls-changes-773817">collectible dolls</a> aimed at adult fans, for example. These items are typically sold in speciality or boutique stores, and carry higher price tags than the average doll.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="New York City, New York/ USA - February 16, 2019: Toy Fair New York Barbie signage at the Jacob Javits Center" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/513763/original/file-20230306-24-p5oooh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=776%2C356%2C3919%2C2436&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/513763/original/file-20230306-24-p5oooh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/513763/original/file-20230306-24-p5oooh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/513763/original/file-20230306-24-p5oooh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/513763/original/file-20230306-24-p5oooh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/513763/original/file-20230306-24-p5oooh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/513763/original/file-20230306-24-p5oooh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A Barbie banner at the 2019 New York Toy Fair.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/new-york-city-usa-february-16-1326790883">Sean P. Aune/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Criticism of Barbie</h2>
<p>As Barbie’s brand has expanded and evolved, the doll has also encountered criticism. Over the years, Barbie went through <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/13504639851780">many transformations</a> to look more confident, and was marketed as having many life options, particularly when it comes to work. There are now Barbie dolls representing more than 200 careers – from astronaut, surgeon, paratrooper, game developer, architect and entrepreneur to film director and even US president.</p>
<p>But critics have argued that these career dolls are a “<a href="https://www.salon.com/2014/06/18/meet_entrepreneur_barbie_mattels_misfire_attempt_at_inspiring_girls/">misfire attempt at inspiring girls</a>”. This negative perception of the <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/mar.21477">brand’s moral vision</a> is linked to the notion that Barbie is rooted in an ideal of femininity that still characterises women by their <a href="https://time.com/barbie-new-body-cover-story/">physical appearance</a>.</p>
<p>Barbie has been accused of promoting unrealistic body standards, stereotyping and objectification of women, as well as having a negative influence on girls’ self-esteem and <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/7210496_Does_Barbie_Make_Girls_Want_to_Be_Thin_The_Effect_of_Experimental_Exposure_to_Images_of_Dolls_on_the_Body_Image_of_5-_to_8-Year-Old_Girls">body image</a>. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Toy Fair New York, Mattel Barbie dolls on display, New York City, February 24, 2020." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/513759/original/file-20230306-1354-r2pdab.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/513759/original/file-20230306-1354-r2pdab.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/513759/original/file-20230306-1354-r2pdab.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/513759/original/file-20230306-1354-r2pdab.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/513759/original/file-20230306-1354-r2pdab.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/513759/original/file-20230306-1354-r2pdab.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/513759/original/file-20230306-1354-r2pdab.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Mattel has attempted to address criticism of Barbie over the years, for example by giving consumers multiple career options to choose from.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/new-york-city-usa-february-24-1685825410">Sean P. Aune/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>So, faced with declining sales and competition from smaller brands offering dolls with more realistic body types (such as <a href="https://uk.lottie.com/">Lottie</a> and <a href="https://lammily.com/">Lammily</a>), Mattel launched “<a href="https://time.com/barbie-new-body-cover-story/">Project Dawn</a>” in 2016. This included the launch of Fashionistas, a line of Barbie dolls with <a href="https://theconversation.com/drastic-plastic-a-look-at-barbies-new-bodies-53877">different body types</a> (curvy, petite and tall) and abilities, skin tones and eye colours, as well as hairstyles and outfits. </p>
<p>But <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1740144518302584">research suggested</a> that young girls aged between three and ten prefered the original tall and petite dolls. They were negative about “<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-the-curvy-new-barbie-is-good-news-for-your-little-girl-55008">curvy</a>” Barbie, and this doll also received intense <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/350510598_The_Politics_of_Barbie%27s_Curvy_New_Body_Marketing_Mattel%27s_Fashionistas_Line">public scrutiny</a>.</p>
<p>In 2017, Mattel took another significant step by introducing ethnically and racially diverse dolls of different nationalities, including the first <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/14/business/barbie-hijab-ibtihaj-muhammad.html">hijab-wearing Barbie doll</a>. However, <a href="https://read.dukeupress.edu/differences/article-abstract/6/1/46/301186/Dyes-and-Dolls-Multicultural-Barbie-and-the?redirectedFrom=fulltext">this approach prompted criticism</a> that Mattel was treating race and ethnic differences as “collectible”, and commodifying culture. </p>
<p>Despite this, Barbie continues to be a toy that many children play with. The longevity and iconic status of the doll is a tribute to Mattel’s astute marketing and reinvention efforts. These have helped the brand remain relevant even now, 64 years after it was launched.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/200844/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Sameer Hosany does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>A branding expert explains how this iconic but controversial doll has gone from teenage reject to movie star in 64 years.Sameer Hosany, Professor of Marketing, Royal Holloway University of LondonLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1838052022-07-24T12:29:30Z2022-07-24T12:29:30ZNostalgia for childhoods of the past overlooks children’s experiences today<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/475425/original/file-20220721-10583-fvh8jr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C350%2C6000%2C3637&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Feeling nostalgic isn’t proof of how things used to be. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Nostalgia made a comeback under COVID-19. In the context of enforced lockdowns, there was an increase in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/01490400.2020.1773993">nostalgic activities such as watching classic films, baking and reminiscing</a> with family and friends. </p>
<p>Nostalgia can be defined as a feeling of <a href="https://www.basicbooks.com/titles/svetlana-boym/the-future-of-nostalgia/9780465007080/">longing for a better time in the past that no longer exists and may never have</a>.</p>
<p>When it isn’t excessive, nostalgia can be a productive feeling that provides a sense of <a href="https://www.michigandaily.com/statement/nostalgia-time-covid/">continuity, purpose and optimism in difficult times</a>. </p>
<p>As writer Danielle Campoamor explains, “<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/28/smarter-living/coronavirus-nostalgia.html">nostalgia serves as a kind of emotional pacifier, helping us to become accustomed to a new reality</a> that is jarring, stressful and traumatic.” </p>
<p>But nostalgia can create an overly simplistic picture <a href="https://reporter.rit.edu/views/hindsight-isnt-always-2020-dark-side-nostalgia">of the past that hinders attention to the present and limits the imagination of a different future</a>. </p>
<h2>What’s the use of nostalgia?</h2>
<p>Since nostalgia often brings to mind memories of <a href="https://theconversation.com/a-new-view-of-an-old-emotion-or-how-science-is-saving-nostalgia-16658">cherished social bonds and togetherness, it may also help people cope with feelings of loneliness</a>. </p>
<p>Cultural theorist Svetlana Boym adds that nostalgia disrupts “<a href="http://monumenttotransformation.org/atlas-of-transformation/html/n/nostalgia/nostalgia-svetlana-boym.html">the irreversibility of time that plagues the human condition</a>” and offers a way of using the past to rethink the present and future.</p>
<p>For these reasons, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/10463283.2022.2036005">nostalgia may be especially important for people made vulnerable by displacement, bereavement and mental health challenges</a>.</p>
<p>Some people may even experience an increased <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2021/09/pandemic-nostalgia-tiktok/620230/">longing for the early days of COVID-19, when lockdowns felt like a break from the rush of everyday life</a>. However, nostalgia reflects an overly positive view of this time, and centres the experiences of those more privileged or protected in society. </p>
<p>In the unfolding context of COVID-19, yearning to return to life as “normal” can also produce <a href="https://www.concordia.ca/cunews/offices/vprgs/sgs/public-scholars-21/2021/06/03/nostalgia-in-the-times-of-COVID-19.html">unrealistic expectations and feelings of impatience, frustration and fear</a>. </p>
<p>Longing for pre-pandemic times may defend against <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/11/opinion/covid-isolation-narrative.html">the many losses of COVID-19</a> and the uneven effects of illness, online learning and access to resources for <a href="HTTPS://DOI.ORG/10.22329/JTL.V15I2.6714">children, young people</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/08959420.2020.1764319">adults</a>.</p>
<h2>Childhood innocence and toys</h2>
<p>Historically, nostalgia can be linked to <a href="https://doi.org/10.2307/25601604">childhood and a longing to return to a fantasied state of innocence</a>. </p>
<p>Still today, in dominant popular western imagination, childhood is understood to be a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/chso.12428">time before responsibility, before problems and violence and before knowledge about loss and death</a>. </p>
<p>Play objects designed for children are, too, driven by nostalgia. As archaeologist Jane Eva Baxter suggests, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/21594937.2016.1220046">toys and playthings may say as much about adult longings for childhood</a> as they do about the children for whom they are intended.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Teddy bears." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/471891/original/file-20220630-18-i93i5u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/471891/original/file-20220630-18-i93i5u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=403&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471891/original/file-20220630-18-i93i5u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=403&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471891/original/file-20220630-18-i93i5u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=403&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471891/original/file-20220630-18-i93i5u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=507&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471891/original/file-20220630-18-i93i5u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=507&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471891/original/file-20220630-18-i93i5u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=507&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Toys created for children are also about adult longings for childhood.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
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</figure>
<h2>Teachers remembering childhood</h2>
<p>Our research examines <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-teachers-remember-their-own-childhoods-affects-how-they-challenge-school-inequities-154996">how childhood memories shape the ways prospective teachers and people seeking to work with children understand their roles as future educators</a>. </p>
<p>As part of our work, we asked undergraduate students enrolled in teacher education and childhood studies programs <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/14681366.2022.2063930">to select an object — a token, toy or tool — that they believed to represent childhood</a>. </p>
<p>Participants were asked to discuss their objects in focus groups. A range of objects were shared, including stuffed toys, bikes and binoculars, games and puzzles, drawings and books. </p>
<p>At first glance, there may be nothing surprising about these choices. They might also be said to <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctv18phh3d">represent normative ideas about child development and the tendency to view children as precursors to productive adulthoods</a>. </p>
<p>However, participants did not simply repeat the norms represented by their objects. They often used them to describe diverse and difficult childhood experiences such as the loss of significant others, questions about gender and sexuality, times of worry, bullying or failure and <a href="https://doi.org/10.37291/2717638X.202232170">how they exercised agency in the face of rigid educational aims</a>. </p>
<h2>Pre-pandemic childhoods and tech-free toys</h2>
<p>While the respondents in our study described their own complicated experiences as children, they returned to nostalgic ideas about childhood when the topic of COVID-19 arose. </p>
<p>In these discussions, technology was a key theme. Specifically, participants emphasized the tech-free qualities of their own objects as more natural, more innocent and more joyful than the gadgets they understood to dominate children’s experiences today. </p>
<p>On the one hand, there are important reasons to be concerned about <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/22041451.2016.1266124">technologies designed for children, particularly in terms of privacy, security and consent</a>. Many youth themselves have <a href="https://theconversation.com/youth-have-a-love-hate-relationship-with-tech-in-the-digital-age-109453">expressed unease about the impacts of technology in their lives</a>. </p>
<p>In the case of emergency online education, teacher education scholar Sarah Barrett further points to the role of technology in <a href="https://doi.org/10.22329/jtl.v15i2.6683">widening social inequities and the loss of classroom communities</a>. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/classdojo-raises-concerns-about-childrens-rights-111033">ClassDojo raises concerns about children's rights</a>
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<p>On the other hand, children’s creative uses of technologies may not be so different from their uses of material objects and playthings. <a href="https://theconversation.com/should-you-get-your-child-an-ai-doll-this-holiday-89115">Even as they raise uncertainties, high-tech toys can be outlets for imagination, curiosity and emotional attachment</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A pair of green children's binoculars." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/471657/original/file-20220629-13-orfg4y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/471657/original/file-20220629-13-orfg4y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471657/original/file-20220629-13-orfg4y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471657/original/file-20220629-13-orfg4y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471657/original/file-20220629-13-orfg4y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=425&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471657/original/file-20220629-13-orfg4y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=425&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471657/original/file-20220629-13-orfg4y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=425&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Nostalgia can obscure the complexity of current realities and historical experiences.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>What nostalgia forgets</h2>
<p>The problem is that nostalgia may obscure any such debate. Longing for pre-pandemic childhoods can reinforce <a href="https://www.routledge.com/Decolonizing-Place-in-Early-Childhood-Education/Nxumalo/p/book/9781138384538">normative ideas about what counts as a “real” or “natural” childhood, even though these ideas have never included all children</a>. </p>
<p>Nostalgia may therefore overlook <a href="https://www.tcpress.com/sex-death-and-the-education-of-children-9780807776483">the experiences of children themselves, experiences that have always been affected by historic shifts, social inequities and emotional conflicts</a>, much like the participants of our study recalled. </p>
<p>Nostalgia for pre-pandemic childhoods may also forget that <a href="https://peopleforeducation.ca/our-work/towards-race-equity-in-education/">schools have never been safe spaces for everyone</a>, and particularly not for <a href="https://news.ubc.ca/2021/10/19/half-of-canadian-kids-witness-ethnic-racial-bullying-at-school-study/">racially minoritized</a>, <a href="https://www.thestar.com/life/parent/2010/12/03/many_canadian_gay_bisexual_trans_students_bullied_study.html">queer and trans children</a>. </p>
<p>Given such inequities, it is telling that a good number of minoritized children and young people have described the technological shift to online education during COVID-19 as a <a href="https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-for-some-children-online-learning-had-unexpected-benefits/">reprieve from the racist, homophobic and transphobic violence of in-person schools situations</a>.</p>
<p>Because nostalgia creates an overly positive view of the past, it may also detract attention from <a href="https://doi.org/10.22329/jtl.v15i2.6663">the need for structural changes in post-COVID recovery plans within education</a>.</p>
<h2>The good news</h2>
<p>Nostalgia is a powerful emotion that can feel like sure evidence of an idealized time in the past to which we may aim to return. </p>
<p>However, as education theorist Janet Miller suggests, it is important <a href="https://journal.jctonline.org/index.php/jct/article/view/181">“to take responsibility for any nostalgic tales we might spin in terms of simply longing for that often idealized time or place which no longer exists — or more likely, never fully did exist</a>.” </p>
<p>It might be strangely good news to recognize that nostalgia isn’t proof of how things used to be. If we can hold in mind the impossibility of nostalgia’s idealized promises, and if we can take responsibility for the nostalgic tales we do tell, then we might be able to imagine new and inclusive understandings of both childhood and education.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/183805/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Lisa Farley receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Debbie Sonu receives funding from Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Julie C. Garlen receives funding from Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Sandra Chang-Kredl receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) and Fonds de Recherche de Québec - Société et Culture (FRQSC)</span></em></p>Childhood wasn’t more ‘innocent’ or ‘natural’ before digital technologies or the pandemic.Lisa Farley, Associate Professor, Education, York University, CanadaDebbie Sonu, Associate Professor, Curriculum and Teaching, Hunter CollegeJulie C. Garlen, Associate Professor, Childhood and Youth Studies, Carleton UniversitySandra Chang-Kredl, Associate Professor in Education, Concordia UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1851392022-06-23T20:08:44Z2022-06-23T20:08:44ZRelax, it’s just a ringlight for kids. Toys like the ‘vlogger set’ prepare them for a digital world<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/470218/original/file-20220622-19-6v5xwr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=787%2C0%2C3249%2C2151&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Recent outrage surrounding a young children’s toy “vlogger” set echoes moral panics of the past, particularly when words such as children, play and digital come together. </p>
<p>Aldi recently released a new <a href="https://au.news.yahoo.com/aldi-targets-modern-kids-with-dj-vlogger-and-gamer-role-play-toys-223353703.html">range of wooden toys</a>, including the Vlogger set for children aged 3 and older. This set has sparked <a href="https://twitter.com/bhakthi/status/1534302252521115648">discussion on Twitter</a>, including criticism. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1534302252521115648"}"></div></p>
<p>As <a href="https://www.digitalchild.org.au/">researchers</a> who explore the ways young children are growing up in the digital age, we want to move this conversation past any initial shock. </p>
<p>Instead of feeding into any moral panic, we would suggest taking the time to consider what children can get out of playing with such toys. They might benefit from activities like practising the making of digital media and mimicking the real-world practices of the adults in their lives.</p>
<h2>Children live in a digital age</h2>
<p>Digital technology is increasingly part of children’s everyday lives. They are being introduced to media-making practices at younger ages than in the past. </p>
<p>Children don’t just watch their favourite content online. They produce their own media when they film what’s happening around them. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/online-and-out-there-how-children-view-privacy-differently-from-adults-38535">Online and out there: how children view privacy differently from adults</a>
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<p>Children also observe adults’ own media practices. <a href="https://www.australiacouncil.gov.au/research/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Creating-Our-Future-Results-of-the-National-Arts-Participation-Survey-PDF.pdf">Many Australians</a> create their own digital media content. </p>
<p>And most future <a href="https://www.fya.org.au/app/uploads/2021/09/new-work-order-2015.pdf">jobs are going to require digital skills</a>. </p>
<p>Not only is <a href="https://nyupress.org/9781479846894/social-media-entertainment/">social media entertainment</a> a legitimate and growing industry, learning how to communicate through media-making practices is important for children now and to <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00220272.2014.966152">build upon in the future</a>. Young children might use filters on video calls with family but as they move through their tween and teen years they may have to make video presentations at school or choose to connect with friends through video-orientated platforms such as TikTok, SnapChat and Instagram. </p>
<p>Whether we like it or not, this is the reality for many young people. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Young girl poses as her mother takes a video on her mobile phone" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/470216/original/file-20220622-7895-cf0hg6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/470216/original/file-20220622-7895-cf0hg6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/470216/original/file-20220622-7895-cf0hg6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/470216/original/file-20220622-7895-cf0hg6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/470216/original/file-20220622-7895-cf0hg6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/470216/original/file-20220622-7895-cf0hg6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/470216/original/file-20220622-7895-cf0hg6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Children need to gain digital literacy early on in a world where digital media are pervasive.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>People do have concerns about children online</h2>
<p>Of course, there is ongoing concern about children online. </p>
<p>Controversy about child influencers or “<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/media/2022/may/09/uk-must-protect-child-influencers-exploitation-social-media">kidfluencers</a>” continues to fuel debate about the presence and exploitation of children in online media entertainment. A notorious example was <a href="https://theconversation.com/when-exploiting-kids-for-cash-goes-wrong-on-youtube-the-lessons-of-daddyofive-76932">DaddyOFive</a>, where children’s reactions to “pranks” by their parents were shown on YouTube. Other examples include popular YouTube content of <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-49975644">children unboxing toys</a> and the rise of “<a href="https://journal.media-culture.org.au/index.php/mcjournal/article/view/1022">micro-microcelebrities</a>” – young celebrities who derive their exposure and fame through their parents’ sharing or “<a href="https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/parenting4digitalfuture/2015/06/17/managing-your-childs-digital-footprint-and-or-parent-bloggers-ahead-of-brit-mums-on-the-20th-of-june/">sharenting</a>”, online. </p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/when-exploiting-kids-for-cash-goes-wrong-on-youtube-the-lessons-of-daddyofive-76932">When exploiting kids for cash goes wrong on YouTube: the lessons of DaddyOFive</a>
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</em>
</p>
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<p>These examples understandably call for greater consideration of how children are represented online. It’s essential to critically examine <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/01/business/media/social-media-influencers-kids.html">exploitative commercialisation practices</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/posting-a-childs-life-for-the-world-to-see-is-a-privacy-issue-20887">champion children’s right to privacy</a>. At the same time, it’s important to remember that not all media produced by and for children are inherently bad or harmful. </p>
<p>Children are at some stage likely to produce media and <a href="https://theconversation.com/online-and-out-there-how-children-view-privacy-differently-from-adults-38535">share things online</a>. Organisations such as <a href="https://www.commonsense.org/">Common Sense</a> and Australia’s <a href="https://www.esafety.gov.au/kids">eSafety Commissioner</a> provide useful resources for families to help children navigate the production and consumption of online media in guided and considered ways. </p>
<p>Through this lens, toys like this Vlogger set could also be considered a resource for parents and educators to start conversations with young children about what it means to make content online. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/posting-a-childs-life-for-the-world-to-see-is-a-privacy-issue-20887">Posting a child's life for the world to see is a privacy issue</a>
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<h2>Children need to learn media literacy</h2>
<p>Wooden toy versions of digital devices, such as cameras, laptops, phones and tablets, are common.</p>
<p>We understand it can be unsettling to think about children playing with toys that reflect our own media practices. However, if we consider the shifting practices of media production and distribution, it is possible to understand that children can learn important ideas from these toys. They can begin to develop early understandings of <a href="https://theconversation.com/we-live-in-an-age-of-fake-news-but-australian-children-are-not-learning-enough-about-media-literacy-141371">media literacy</a> and <a href="https://bera-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bjet.12791">how to use technology</a>.</p>
<p>Take the vlogger set, for example. In media production, lighting is an essential part of ensuring we can communicate our intended meaning to our audience. We can create mood, convey emotion and set audience expectations. Through exploring the ringlight feature of the vlogger toy children are learning how to apply <a href="https://medialiteracy.org.au/index.php/framework/">media languages</a>. </p>
<p>Through playful exploration and imagined production, children can start to think not only about what they share but how they share and who they share with. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/we-live-in-an-age-of-fake-news-but-australian-children-are-not-learning-enough-about-media-literacy-141371">We live in an age of 'fake news'. But Australian children are not learning enough about media literacy</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Young boy playing with a stethoscope listens to teddy's chest" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/470219/original/file-20220622-23-gmoi6i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/470219/original/file-20220622-23-gmoi6i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/470219/original/file-20220622-23-gmoi6i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/470219/original/file-20220622-23-gmoi6i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/470219/original/file-20220622-23-gmoi6i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/470219/original/file-20220622-23-gmoi6i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/470219/original/file-20220622-23-gmoi6i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Children have long played with toy sets representing adult occupations. Now they’ve been updated to include the digital world.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Let the children play</h2>
<p>Children’s imaginative role-playing toys have many benefits. These include being able to act out real and imagined situations, <a href="https://theconversation.com/can-toys-really-be-educational-well-that-depends-on-the-parents-33672">especially when parents are involved with play</a>. There are countless versions of these toys, including chef sets, doctors kits, cleaning sets and tool belts. </p>
<p>While adults might buy these sets in the hope that their child will be inspired to start a career journey, we don’t expect every child who plays with a chef set to become a chef. We would hope one day they’ll learn to cook since that’s an important everyday life skill. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/can-toys-really-be-educational-well-that-depends-on-the-parents-33672">Can toys really be 'educational'? Well that depends on the parents</a>
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</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>The vlogger toy is no different. Some might argue it encourages children to be YouTube stars or influencers. And if some children want to be part of that profession (and it is a <a href="https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-66038-7_8">legitimate profession for some</a>), then they can look back at the cute photos their parents took of them and maybe posted online, using the vlogger set, and remember where it all started.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/185139/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Amanda Levido is affiliated with the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for the Digital Child. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Aleesha Rodriguez is affiliated with the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for the Digital Child.</span></em></p>Some finds toys for toddlers based on digital devices a bit confronting. But really they’re just updated versions of traditional toys for make-believe play such as doctor and tradie tool sets.Amanda Levido, Research Fellow - Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for the Digital Child, Queensland University of TechnologyAleesha Rodriguez, Research Fellow at Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for the Digital Child, Queensland University of TechnologyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1749532022-03-09T13:17:43Z2022-03-09T13:17:43ZBarbie doll that honors Ida B. Wells faces an uphill battle against anti-Blackness<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/450759/original/file-20220308-13-1psvxyb.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=5%2C0%2C1242%2C1255&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Can Black dolls help Black children better understand their racial identity?</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://shop.mattel.com/products/ida-b-wells-barbie-inspiring-women-doll-hcb81">Matel</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>When Mattel <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2022/01/22/a-new-barbie-doll-commemorates-a-19th-century-suffragist">announced in January 2022</a> that it was releasing a new Barbie doll to honor Ida B. Wells – the famed 19th-century Black journalist and anti-lynching crusader – the company said the idea was to “<a href="https://twitter.com/Barbie/status/1480932590014156810">inspire us to dream big</a>.” However, while the doll may prove helpful to young Black children, its impact is likely to be limited.</p>
<p>Although <a href="https://www.newamerica.org/education-policy/reports/the-representation-of-social-groups-in-u-s-educational-materials-and-why-it-matter/">diverse groups are sometimes represented accurately within print</a> and <a href="https://www.npr.org/2021/12/26/1062369487/kids-books-tv-video-games-diverse-characters">digital media</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/17468477211049352">racist portrayals of Black people</a> still persist. </p>
<p>Young Black children can <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/9780470147658.chpsy0115">internalize racial messages</a> from a variety of sources, including <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/15595691003635955">anti-Black messages from the media, interactions with peers</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/00405841.2016.1116852">school practices</a>, such as being <a href="https://theconversation.com/black-parents-say-their-children-are-being-suspended-for-petty-reasons-that-force-them-to-take-off-from-work-and-sometimes-lose-their-jobs-166610">disproportionately disciplined or suspended from school</a>. This internalization can negatively impact <a href="https://doi.org/10.36019/9780813554310">young children’s feelings about their race</a> and others. </p>
<p>Black dolls, like the one of Wells, can <a href="https://doi.org/10.3167/ghs.2019.120205">shape the way</a> young Black children understand their identity and affect how they <a href="https://doi.apa.org/doi/10.1037/ppm0000359">see themselves in society</a>, but only to a limited degree.</p>
<h2>From enslavement to journalist</h2>
<p>Wells was a noteworthy activist from <a href="https://www.nps.gov/people/idabwells.htm">Holly Springs, Mississippi, who was born into slavery in 1862</a> and was later emancipated as a child. She attended a segregated Black school and became a teacher in Memphis, Tennessee, until she was <a href="https://www.nps.gov/people/idabwells.htm">fired in 1891 for speaking out</a> against subpar learning conditions. A staunch activist, Wells similarly filed and initially won a <a href="https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/ida-b-wells-barnett">lawsuit against the Chesapeake, Ohio & Southwestern Railroad Co.</a> in 1884 after being forced out of a first-class train car despite having purchased a first-class ticket. The ruling was eventually <a href="https://www.nps.gov/people/idabwells.htm">overturned by the Tennessee Supreme Court</a> and spurred the beginning of Wells’ career as a journalist.</p>
<p>Wells wrote about being discriminated against on the train in the Memphis weekly newspaper The Living Way. <a href="https://www.nypl.org/blog/2018/07/16/way-right-wrongs-celebrating-legacy-ida-b-wells">She became a columnist</a> – writing under the name “Iola” – in 1889. From there, she began to write about lynching, as the part owner and editor of The Memphis Free Speech, a <a href="https://www.pbs.org/blackpress/news_bios/wells.html">progressive Black newspaper of the time</a>. She eventually organized a major anti-lynching campaign. Her work is a part of how people today know about the terrors of lynching at the turn of the 20th century. </p>
<h2>Mixed messages</h2>
<p>Having a doll that <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/arts-entertainment/2022/01/12/ida-wells-barbie-doll-mattel/">honors Wells’ legacy</a> can help today’s children “<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CYmIFXvLszH/">know they have the power</a>” to bring about a better future, an Instagram account for Barbie said in a post. However, the mere existence of a Black doll does not combat anti-Black racism. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/S1742058X14000034">Representation alone does not equal racial justice</a> or stop messages of anti-Blackness from existing.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, when there are competing narratives about race, <a href="https://doi.org/10.36019/9780813554310">children must then make sense of the mixed messages</a>, disregarding some and accepting and internalizing others as they form their own understandings. Therefore, children can benefit from receiving messages that contradict the anti-Blackness that they encounter as they form their opinions about race. </p>
<p>Children learn about race in many places and ways. The media is just one context, and toys represent an overlooked form of media. When it comes to dolls specifically, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177%2F0095798410397544">a wealth of research shows</a> that simply presenting a child with a doll does not mean that they will be interested in it. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Two Black girls wearing dresses each hold a doll in their hands while sitting on a couch." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/450727/original/file-20220308-27-1ht2l3i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=103%2C0%2C8543%2C5769&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/450727/original/file-20220308-27-1ht2l3i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/450727/original/file-20220308-27-1ht2l3i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/450727/original/file-20220308-27-1ht2l3i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/450727/original/file-20220308-27-1ht2l3i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/450727/original/file-20220308-27-1ht2l3i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/450727/original/file-20220308-27-1ht2l3i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Dolls are limited in what they can do to boost Black children’s self-esteem.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/mixed-race-sisters-playing-with-dolls-royalty-free-image/969315100?adppopup=true">kali9/E+ via Getty Images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>What children choose</h2>
<p>In my research study, I carefully selected two Black dolls, one white Latina doll and a white non-Hispanic doll from the Hearts for Hearts doll line. These dolls piqued the interest of the 4-year-old participants in my study. Out of the 13 children, eight were Black, two were white, one was Latina, and two were Asian.</p>
<p>In seeing the set of dolls as a group, the children could not wait to play with them; but when it came time to play with the dolls, most of the children preferred to play with the non-Black dolls. The children <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s13158-021-00289-5">assigned a greater sense of value to the white and Latina dolls</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-020-01095-9">ignored or mistreated the Black dolls</a>.</p>
<p>It turned out the internalized messages of anti-Blackness to which these young children had been exposed led them to play with the dolls that did not look like them. This internalization was apparent in their conversations and my examination of their school curriculum, which included only white or animal protagonists in its collection of children’s books.</p>
<p>For example, conversations between the children during playtime with the dolls revealed that they did not want to play with the Black dolls because of their <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-020-01095-9">“big hair” or “curly hair.”</a> When I asked a Black girl if she wanted to play with the only available doll, a Black doll, she shook her head “no.” An Indian American child intervened and stated that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-020-01095-9">she wanted a “long hair” doll</a>. Several children also pretended to lighten the skin color of the Black dolls with makeup.</p>
<p>Through my firsthand experience working with educators who used the curriculum taught to my 4-year-old participants, I am familiar with the absence of Black voices and perspectives within the provided children’s books, which were displayed in the classroom. Given the potential power of children’s books to <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/ycyoungchildren.71.2.8">positively impact their feelings about race</a>, the absence of diverse characters and their perspectives is a critical issue.</p>
<p>While representation is important, combating the anti-Blackness that actively <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/00405841.2016.1116852">harms Black children</a> is the necessary work. </p>
<p>[<em>Over 150,000 readers rely on The Conversation’s newsletters to understand the world.</em> <a href="https://memberservices.theconversation.com/newsletters/?source=inline-150ksignup">Sign up today</a>.]</p>
<p>Although the new Ida B. Wells-inspired Barbie doll does come with information about the late journalist, activist and suffragist on its packaging, research suggests that consistently sharing books with children that include characters with relatable lived cultural experiences <a href="https://doi.org/10.1023/B:ECEJ.0000012137.43147.af">enables them to link themselves to the presented information</a>. Additionally, seeing themselves positively represented through Black characters and other characters of color <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/ycyoungchildren.71.2.8">fosters a sense of pride and respect for racial difference</a>. </p>
<p>In my view, Wells was a forceful leader and activist who deserves our respect and attention. Mattel’s inclusion of the late journalist in its Inspiring Women Series of Barbie dolls, which spotlights “heroes who <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CYmIFXvLszH/">paved the way for generations of girls</a> to dream big and make a difference,” is admirable. However, my research demonstrates that it might not resolve the anti-Black messages to which my <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-020-01095-9">4-year-old participants</a> and possibly other children have been exposed. </p>
<p>Toy manufacturers can produce a range of diverse dolls, but if children are not interested in them, their impact is greatly limited.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/174953/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Toni Sturdivant does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Black children are prone to internalize messages of anti-Blackness. Can a Black doll that honors one of America’s most noteworthy Black women do anything to reverse the trend?Toni Sturdivant, Assistant Professor of Curriculum and Instruction, Texas A&M University-CommerceLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1731742021-12-21T20:50:19Z2021-12-21T20:50:19ZDon’t fret about buying the ‘right’ toy – any toy is educational if you support kids in their play<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/437694/original/file-20211215-15-3w2jh4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=30%2C20%2C6786%2C4527&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Getty Images</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>It’s that time of the year again, and besides the new COVID-era concerns about retail supply chains comes the age-old question: what’s the best educational toy to buy for the child (or grandchild) in your life?</p>
<p>There’s a vast range of toys that claim to stimulate learning, or foster creativity, or boost kids’ STEM skills. The <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/194395/revenue-of-the-global-toy-market-since-2007/">US$94.7 billion global toy market</a> offers a bewildering amount of choice, while parenting blogs warn against <a href="https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/185069865925349595/">“one and done” toys</a>, Instagram influencers make us feel like we don’t measure up, and kids, being kids, pester us for whatever their friends have, or they’ve just seen on YouTube.</p>
<p>But here’s a simple truth: you know your child (and your budget) better than anyone. And here’s some reassuring advice: it doesn’t matter whether you choose a prescriptive toy such as a chemistry set or science kit, or an “open-ended” toy such as building blocks or plastic bricks. Any toy can be educational when you play with your children and talk to them about what they are doing and learning.</p>
<p>All you need to consider is what toys your child already has, what age they are, and what you think they would most enjoy playing with next. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/from-robots-to-board-games-its-easy-to-do-science-this-christmas-88571">From robots to board games, it's easy to do science this Christmas</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Favourite toys</h2>
<p>Each year, the <a href="https://www.museumofplay.org/exhibits/">Museum of Play</a> in Rochester, New York, inducts toys into its hall of fame. This year, <a href="https://www.museumofplay.org/exhibits/toy-hall-of-fame/inducted-toys/">sand</a> was recognised, following in the illustrious footsteps of the stick, which was inducted in 2006. </p>
<p>The full list includes Cabbage Patch dolls, Battleship, Risk, The Settlers of Catan, Mahjong and billiards, as well as the piñata, American Girl Dolls, Masters of the Universe and the Fisher-Price Corn Popper. One of my personal favourites, Uno, made it in 2018, and of course Lego is there, having been added in 2015.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Child playing with Lego" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/437496/original/file-20211214-13-1ntr248.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=53%2C0%2C6000%2C3997&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/437496/original/file-20211214-13-1ntr248.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/437496/original/file-20211214-13-1ntr248.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/437496/original/file-20211214-13-1ntr248.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/437496/original/file-20211214-13-1ntr248.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/437496/original/file-20211214-13-1ntr248.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/437496/original/file-20211214-13-1ntr248.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Lego: one of the classics.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Aedrian/Unsplash</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Lego is in fact a good place to start! The blocks are good for a wide age range, and you can either buy highly prescriptive kits that involve closely following a plan, or general sets containing random blocks for building something totally new and improvised. Or, if you prefer, you can buy various other types of blocks on the market, such as wooden or magnetic ones. </p>
<p>Regardless of the specific type, <a href="https://www.naeyc.org/resources/pubs/yc/mar2015/ten-things-children-learn-block-play">playing with blocks</a> encourages children to plan, construct and experiment with their engineering creations. And, crucially, they can learn even more if you help them along the way.</p>
<h2>Parent power</h2>
<p>While the children are playing with their blocks, parents or carers can play with them and engage them in conversation about the form and structure they are creating. Try using <a href="https://www.amazon.com.au/Early-Mathematical-Explorations-Nicola-Yelland/dp/1107618827/ref=asc_df_1107618827/?tag=googleshopdsk-22&linkCode=df0&hvadid=341773657171&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=11912873330503157062&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9112798&hvtargid=pla-674761606525&psc=1">positional and relational language</a> to extend their vocabulary by posing questions such as:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>do you think we can build this tower so it’s as high as the table?</p></li>
<li><p>how many blocks are around the base of this building?</p></li>
<li><p>what shape of blocks do we need to build a fence around this house? Or could we use other materials?</p></li>
<li><p>what are you going to put at the top of the structure?</p></li>
</ul>
<p>Talking with your child while they are playing helps them articulate their ideas and build their vocabulary. It introduces them to <a href="https://www.amazon.com.au/Early-Mathematical-Explorations-Nicola-Yelland/dp/1107618827/ref=asc_df_1107618827/?tag=googleshopdsk-22&linkCode=df0&hvadid=341773657171&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=11912873330503157062&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9112798&hvtargid=pla-674761606525&psc=1">mathematical concepts</a> such as numbers, space and measurement, and scientific processes such as observing, estimating, planning and problem-solving. It’s a wonderful chance to share ideas and talk with one another.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Grandfather doing a jigsaw puzzle with two grandchildren" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/437695/original/file-20211215-23-1k269vb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/437695/original/file-20211215-23-1k269vb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=405&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/437695/original/file-20211215-23-1k269vb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=405&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/437695/original/file-20211215-23-1k269vb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=405&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/437695/original/file-20211215-23-1k269vb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=509&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/437695/original/file-20211215-23-1k269vb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=509&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/437695/original/file-20211215-23-1k269vb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=509&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Any toy is educational if you play and learn together.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Getty Images</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>In a similar way, I am an advocate for games such as Uno and board games that involve meeting a goal, whether it be getting rid of all your cards, or racing around a board. This lets children experience winning and losing, and gives them a chance both to plan and strategise, and contend with chance elements such as the roll of a dice. Snakes and Ladders and Ludo both involve counting and numbers, and the element of chance. They can often inspire children to make up their own games as well.</p>
<p>Then, of course, there are <a href="https://kidzinc.com.au/collections/stem-toys?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI09mR_5LJ9AIVxZNmAh2u7ABHEAAYASAAEgKYHvD_BwE">toys</a> and <a href="http://engino.com/">materials</a> designed specifically to foster learning about <a href="https://melscience.com/AU-en/">STEM</a> (science, technology, engineering and mathematics). But these aren’t the only ways to boost these skills.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/five-things-parents-can-do-every-day-to-help-develop-stem-skills-from-a-young-age-92927">Five things parents can do every day to help develop STEM skills from a young age</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Being an effective <a href="https://www.kiwico.com/au/store">STEM learner</a> is important and relevant to the modern world. STEM learning gives young children a chance to indulge their natural curiosity about the world around them, investigate concepts, use critical and creative thinking in systematic ways, and acquire skills and confidence. </p>
<p>This brings us back to the sticks and sand, and of course the box the toys arrived in, not to mention the packaging of any new appliances you might have bought yourself as a Christmas present! </p>
<p>The fact that kids so often end up playing with cardboard boxes – turning them into a cubby house, racing car or fortress – is testament to the fact anything can be a good toy with the right mindset. What really counts is the opportunity to play and talk with your child. This will equip them with knowledge, skills and confidence that will stand them in good stead at any age.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/173174/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Nicola Yelland receives funding from the Australian Research Council (ARC) and the Minderoo Foundation.</span></em></p>Is a science kit, some Lego, or building blocks best for fostering kids’ STEM skills and creativity? Fear not – it’s not what’s in the box, but what happens after you open it, that’s most important.Nicola Yelland, Professor of Early Childhood Studies, The University of MelbourneLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1726122021-12-20T22:07:57Z2021-12-20T22:07:57ZDigital toys for kids you don’t have to feel guilty about <figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/435489/original/file-20211203-27-1ntd5mw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">www.shutterstock.com</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Guilt has perhaps always been part of selecting and giving gifts for children at Christmas. However, in 2021, after two years of increased screen time for children thanks to COVID, parents may be experiencing even more uncertainty around what to buy. </p>
<p>But what if the power of play could counter some of these fears? </p>
<p>The <a href="https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/142/3/e20182058/38649/The-Power-of-Play-A-Pediatric-Role-in-Enhancing?autologincheck=redirected">importance of play</a> is well recognised. Play holds developmental <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wuu59E97igU">power</a> to facilitate communication, increase personal strengths, foster emotional well-being and enhance social relationships. </p>
<p>This can be true of digital gifts as well as more traditional presents. Here are some ideas for screen-based toys that are good for both a child’s development and easing parental guilt.</p>
<h2>Screen time – is there such a thing as too much?</h2>
<p>Firstly, let’s address the key concern many parents have: can too much screen time harm a child’s development? The answer lies in knowing and balancing the risks and benefits of screen time.</p>
<p>A recent University of Colorado Boulder <a href="https://theconversation.com/kids-and-their-computers-several-hours-a-day-of-screen-time-is-ok-study-suggests-168022">study</a> of nine and ten year-olds found even when kids spend five hours a day on screens, “it doesn’t appear to be harmful”. The study also suggests screen time can improve social relationships. </p>
<blockquote>
<p>While parents should make sure their children are using screens in appropriate ways, our early research suggests lengthy time on screen is not likely to yield dire consequences.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Research also indicates the <a href="https://ijbnpa.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12966-019-0881-7">type of screen time</a> is important. This suggests active engagement (such as playing a game or doing an activity) may be beneficial, whereas prolonged periods of passive screen time (such as watching TV or YouTube) could be detrimental.</p>
<p>There are <a href="https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240015128">international</a> and <a href="https://www.health.gov.au/health-topics/physical-activity-and-exercise/physical-activity-and-exercise-guidelines-for-all-australians#summary-by-age">Australian</a> recommendations on how much screen time is suitable for children, which vary depending on age. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Mum with two small children looking at iPad." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/435800/original/file-20211206-19-1ypuh13.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/435800/original/file-20211206-19-1ypuh13.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/435800/original/file-20211206-19-1ypuh13.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/435800/original/file-20211206-19-1ypuh13.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/435800/original/file-20211206-19-1ypuh13.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/435800/original/file-20211206-19-1ypuh13.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/435800/original/file-20211206-19-1ypuh13.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Parental supervision is an important part of healthy screen time for younger children.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">www.shutterstock.com</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Guidelines also advise negotiating clear boundaries for screen time, limiting sedentary screen time, and incorporating <a href="https://raisingchildren.net.au/preschoolers/play-learning/screen-time-healthy-screen-use/screen-time-physical-activity">physical activity</a> and <a href="https://raisingchildren.net.au/preschoolers/play-learning/screen-time-healthy-screen-use/shared-screen-time">social relationships</a>. </p>
<p>For children, this may mean sharing a family device, having clear boundaries about usage and a parent supervising. </p>
<p>Ultimately, screens are a part of modern life – children need to learn how to navigate them. Modelling <a href="https://raisingchildren.net.au/babies/family-life/family-media-entertainment/parent-technology-use">healthy screen time</a> as well as selecting developmentally appropriate digital toys or platforms for play are two ways parents can assist children in developing a healthy relationship with screen time.</p>
<h2>Digital toys across age groups</h2>
<p><strong>Babies and toddlers</strong></p>
<p>Video-chatting is <a href="https://raisingchildren.net.au/babies/play-learning/media-technology/healthy-screen-time-0-2-years">the only</a> recommended form of screen time for babies and toddlers. Digital devices and apps may assist parents when used together with their baby or toddler, to maintain relationships with friends and family. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/studies-suggest-no-causal-link-between-young-childrens-screen-time-and-later-symptoms-of-inattention-and-hyperactivity-169943">Studies suggest no causal link between young children's screen time and later symptoms of inattention and hyperactivity</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Apps on a parent’s device, such as <a href="https://apps.apple.com/au/app/baby-karaoke/id426373998">Baby Karaoke</a> can help parents to <a href="https://raisingchildren.net.au/guides/baby-karaoke">remember</a> and sing along to nursery rhymes and children’s songs. Joining together with your child in playful rhythm and rhyme time in the <a href="https://raisingchildren.net.au/guides/first-1000-days">first 1,000 days</a> supports many aspects of brain development.</p>
<p><strong>Pre-schoolers (3-5 years)</strong></p>
<p>Screen time, when supervised by a parent and part of a balanced <a href="https://raisingchildren.net.au/toddlers/play-learning/screen-time-media/healthy-screen-time-2-5-years">healthy</a> family lifestyle, can support children’s developing imagination, creativity, and storytelling. </p>
<p>Apps and digital games like <a href="https://www.playosmo.com/en/">Osmo</a>, where players use objects in the real world to interact with the digital world on their device, can develop communication, social and problem-solving skills. </p>
<p><strong>School-age (5-9 years)</strong></p>
<p>Apps and digital games that support learning, social skills and creativity are <a href="https://raisingchildren.net.au/school-age/play-media-technology/media/good-apps-games-movies-school-age">recommended for school-age</a> children. </p>
<p>App ideas include <a href="https://freeappsforme.com/stop-motion-apps/">Stop Motion</a>, where children use physical toys such as Lego minifigures or plasticine models to create short animated movies. <a href="https://khankids.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/360004559231-Welcome-to-Khan-Academy-Kids">Khan Academy for Kids</a> allows children to read books, create and draw, solve puzzles and play games that promote social skills. </p>
<p><strong>Pre-teens (9-12 years)</strong></p>
<p>Pre-teens may be starting to conduct a significant part of their <a href="https://raisingchildren.net.au/pre-teens/entertainment-technology/digital-life/screen-time-social-life">social life</a> online. Supporting their developing sense of <a href="https://raisingchildren.net.au/pre-teens/entertainment-technology/digital-life/digital-citizenship">digital citizenship</a> is a crucial step and should be considered when choosing digital gifts.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Child playing Minecraft." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/435803/original/file-20211206-15-x72qml.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/435803/original/file-20211206-15-x72qml.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=422&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/435803/original/file-20211206-15-x72qml.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=422&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/435803/original/file-20211206-15-x72qml.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=422&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/435803/original/file-20211206-15-x72qml.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=531&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/435803/original/file-20211206-15-x72qml.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=531&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/435803/original/file-20211206-15-x72qml.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=531&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Minecraft allows players to choose what they want to do.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">www.shutterstock.com</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>So, digital games that promote learning, hold positive messages, and allow for a sense of achievement are <a href="https://raisingchildren.net.au/pre-teens/entertainment-technology/gaming-gambling/video-games-apps">recommended for pre-teens</a>. As a parent of two pre-teens, Kate shares that two current favourite apps in her house are the drawing/art app <a href="https://procreate.art/">Procreate</a> and the meditation, ambient sounds and bedtime stories app <a href="https://www.calm.com/">Calm</a>.</p>
<p>Other ideas include learning a new skill like a musical instrument with apps like <a href="https://www.joytunes.com/simply-piano">Simply Piano</a> or <a href="https://simplyguitar.joytunes.com">Simply Guitar</a>. <a href="https://www.warnerbros.com/games-and-apps/heads">Heads Up!</a> allows you to play charades online, while popular video game <a href="https://www.commonsensemedia.org/app-reviews/minecraft">Minecraft</a> promotes creativity. Finally, work together as a family to remember, preserve and write family stories using <a href="https://storycorps.org/">Story Corps</a>.</p>
<p><strong>Teenagers (13-18 years)</strong></p>
<p>Screen time can be included in the <a href="https://raisingchildren.net.au/teens/entertainment-technology/screen-time-healthy-screen-use/healthy-screen-time-teens">healthy lifestyle</a> of teenagers. Digital activities that foster interests and hobbies, and enhance social connections are an important consideration for development, health, and well-being. </p>
<p>As a parent of a teenager, Judi shares that the current favourite at her house is the virtual reality headset <a href="https://www.oculus.com/">Oculus Quest 2</a>, which enables social connection through <a href="https://hello.vrchat.com/">VRChat</a>, <a href="https://altvr.com/">Altspace</a> and meditation with <a href="https://www.tripp.com/">TRIPP</a> and <a href="https://www.oculus.com/experiences/quest/2616537008386430/">Nature Treks </a>.</p>
<p>Other ideas include getting out in nature for a family treasure hunt adventure using <a href="https://www.geocaching.com/play">Geocaching </a>. Or host a trivia party with family or friends using <a href="https://www.sporcle.com/groups/topics/766d10e0f72b">Sporcle</a>. Games like <a href="https://www.spore.com/">Spore</a> allow players to design their own species by evolving microscopic organisms into their own creations. </p>
<h2>What to bear in mind</h2>
<p>If you’re doing your own searches, use terms like “creative apps for preschoolers” and use a review site like <a href="https://www.commonsensemedia.org/">Common Sense Media</a> to check your choice. And consider physically active screen time choices. </p>
<p>Examples include the <a href="https://www.nintendo.com.au/nintendo-switch-family/switch">Nintendo Switch</a> that promote <a href="https://www.thegamer.com/10-games-like-ring-fit-adventure-on-the-nintendo-switch/">physical activity</a> such as dancing (<a href="https://www.ubisoft.com/en-au/game/just-dance/2022">Just Dance</a>) or real-life exercises, including jogging and yoga (<a href="https://www.nintendo.com.au/games/nintendo-switch/ring-fit-adventure">Ring Fit Adventure</a>). </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Teenage girl with a virtual reality headset." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/435494/original/file-20211203-25-qdzpe3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/435494/original/file-20211203-25-qdzpe3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/435494/original/file-20211203-25-qdzpe3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/435494/original/file-20211203-25-qdzpe3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/435494/original/file-20211203-25-qdzpe3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/435494/original/file-20211203-25-qdzpe3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/435494/original/file-20211203-25-qdzpe3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">It’s important to incorporate physical activity with screen time.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">www.shutterstock.com</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>There is also virtual reality, which enables enjoyment, exploration and experiencing through multi-modes including movement (<a href="https://www.oculus.com/experiences/rift/1304877726278670/">Beat Saber</a>), art-making (<a href="https://www.oculus.com/experiences/quest/2322529091093901?ranking_trace=0_2322529091093901_QUESTSEARCH_85b10f4f-d9f3-44a1-b964-47c4da2e9cb8">Tilt Brush</a>), and immersive experiences (<a href="https://www.oculus.com/experiences/quest/2078376005587859?ranking_trace=0_2078376005587859_QUESTSEARCH_f4176e13-59ec-45c0-9b14-21117290e72b">Wander</a>).</p>
<p>So, pause for a moment this Christmas when considering digital gifts for children and ask yourself three things:</p>
<p>1) Is there a physical component?</p>
<p>2) Will this gift be used together within a relationship?</p>
<p>3) What is the play value?</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/a-new-study-sounds-like-good-news-about-screen-time-and-kids-health-so-does-it-mean-we-can-all-stop-worrying-170265">A new study sounds like good news about screen time and kids' health. So does it mean we can all stop worrying?</a>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/172612/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Ultimately, screens are a part of modern life – children need to learn how to navigate them.Dr. Kate Renshaw, Lecturer in Play Therapy, Deakin UniversityJudi Parson, Senior Lecturer, Child Play Therapy, Deakin UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1726112021-12-19T19:53:49Z2021-12-19T19:53:49ZWhy kids should not have lots of toys (and what to do if yours have too many)<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/433882/original/file-20211125-1695-145t7be.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C25%2C4256%2C2510&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Phillip Glickman/Unsplash</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>The festive season reinforces something parents and carers already know – many children today have a lot of toys. </p>
<p>In the United States, children receive more than <a href="https://swnsdigital.com/us/2016/11/average-child-gets-6500-worth-of-toys-in-their-lifetime/">US$6,500 (A$9,073) worth of toys</a> between the ages of two and 12. Here in Australia, the toy industry is worth more than <a href="http://www.roymorgan.com/findings/6954-play-time-where-aussies-buy-their-toys-and-games-201609070858">A$3.7 billion annually</a>. Lockdowns have resulted in online toy sales growing by 21.4% during 2021, with the online toy industry now <a href="https://www.ibisworld.com/au/market-size/online-toy-sales/">growing faster</a> than the overall online retail sector.</p>
<p>The number of toys in Australian households is likely to increase when Christmas gift giving starts in earnest. </p>
<p>Apart from environmental concerns, having lots of toys can <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/au/blog/singletons/201712/study-underscores-why-fewer-toys-is-the-better-option">negatively impact children</a> as well as <a href="https://www.todaysparent.com/family/toys/too-many-toys/">parents and carers</a>. </p>
<p>Here are some ideas for dealing with existing toys, as well as the upcoming influx of new ones. </p>
<h2>The problem with having too many toys</h2>
<p>Spaces with lots of toys are overstimulating and impact the ability for babies, toddlers and younger children to learn and play creatively. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Child sitting in the middle of toys." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/436025/original/file-20211207-68670-1q22rxm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/436025/original/file-20211207-68670-1q22rxm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/436025/original/file-20211207-68670-1q22rxm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/436025/original/file-20211207-68670-1q22rxm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/436025/original/file-20211207-68670-1q22rxm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/436025/original/file-20211207-68670-1q22rxm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/436025/original/file-20211207-68670-1q22rxm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The more toys, the more confusing for kids.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">www.shutterstock.com</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Similar to cluttered pantries or office spaces, which make it hard for adults to focus, having too many toys around the house can make it difficult for children to concentrate, learn, and develop important skills around play.</p>
<p>Research <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0163638317301613">shows</a> fewer toys at a time leads to better quality playtime for toddlers, allowing them to focus on one toy at a time, build concentration skills, and play more creatively. </p>
<p>The other issue with having lots of toys “in play” is that we tend to place less value on them. By reducing the number of toys, adults can help children develop <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-07-06/too-many-toys-can-lead-to-stuff-addiction-maggie-dent-says/8684264">appreciation and gratitude</a>. </p>
<h2>What to do if you have too many toys</h2>
<p>De-cluttering is easier said than done, but organising toys has many benefits for children and adults alike.</p>
<p>Fewer toys that are well organised leads to a calmer, less stressful environment which also reduces overstimulation in children and contributes to better <a href="https://raisingchildren.net.au/toddlers/behaviour/understanding-behaviour/self-regulation">behavioural regulation</a>. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/no-presents-please-how-gift-cards-initiate-children-into-the-world-of-credit-100009">No presents, please: how gift cards initiate children into the world of 'credit'</a>
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<p>Reducing the number of toys can also increase opportunities for children to build frustration tolerance and having to focus on one or two toys at a time can improve <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03004430.2010.503892">problem solving skills</a> as well as developing independent play experience and creativity.</p>
<p>Organising toys can also help parents and carers improve general structure and routine in the home, which is great for everyone!</p>
<h2>How to organise toys</h2>
<p>A good first step is to conduct an inventory of all the toys in your house. Divide toys into “keep and play”, “keep and store” (toys that are sentimental, family heirlooms or part of a collection that can be put in storage) and “give-away or sell”.</p>
<p>Toys that are “keep and play” should be organised in ways that allow children to clearly see and easily access them.</p>
<p>Put two-thirds of these toys away in storage. Every month, rotate the number of toys available ensuring you have an interesting selection of “social” and “solo play” toys available and try to include “good” toys.</p>
<p>Rotating toys can help with space issues and importantly it keeps the novelty alive. </p>
<h2>Is there such a thing as ‘good’ toys?</h2>
<p>With such a huge variety of toys available, the choice can be overwhelming. But when you are thinking about buying toys, there are some features that make certain toys better than others. </p>
<p>“Good” toys are those that are appropriate for the child’s age and developmental level. If you are not sure if a toy is suitable in this regard, seek advice from staff in specialist toy stores or consult child development websites such as <a href="https://raisingchildren.net.au/">raisingchildren.net.au</a> and <a href="http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/parent-resources/">earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Mum and daughter playing with blocks." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/436026/original/file-20211207-21-3sc9sx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/436026/original/file-20211207-21-3sc9sx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/436026/original/file-20211207-21-3sc9sx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/436026/original/file-20211207-21-3sc9sx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/436026/original/file-20211207-21-3sc9sx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/436026/original/file-20211207-21-3sc9sx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/436026/original/file-20211207-21-3sc9sx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Toys that help a child develop and keep them occupied do not need to be expensive.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">www.shutterstock.com</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Toys should stimulate learning and keep a child’s interest at the same time and they should be safe and durable. In addition, toys should be able to stand the test of time (think Lego) and ideally be used in a variety of different ways over the years.</p>
<p>We recognise that with <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/we-don-t-really-have-a-plan-warning-as-australia-fails-to-hit-poverty-goals-20211201-p59dqb.html">more than 17%</a> of Australian children living in poverty, there are also many families who do not have the problem of having too many toys. </p>
<p>Good toys <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2021/dec/10/can-toys-be-educational-the-same-can-be-said-for-any-household-object?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other">don’t have</a> to be expensive. While Australians spend millions each year on toys, it’s worth remembering simple, everyday <a href="https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/10_household_items_you_can_use_for_play_with_toddlers">household items</a> - cardboard boxes, saucepans and cooking implements, buckets and tubs, cardboard tubes, plastic containers and stacking cups - make excellent toys for younger children.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/blind-bags-how-toy-makers-are-making-a-fortune-with-child-gambling-127229">Blind bags: how toy makers are making a fortune with child gambling</a>
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</em>
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<h2>Categorising ‘good’ toys</h2>
<p>Parents may find it useful to categorise good toys. This ensures when you are organising toys, children have access to a variety of toys suitable for different types of learning and play development. </p>
<p>Here are five ways to categorise toys:</p>
<p><strong>1. manipulative/functional toys</strong> - these include construction and building toys, puzzles, stacking and nesting, brain-teasers, dressing toys, beads, blocks, bath toys, and sand and water toys. Manipulative toys are important for helping develop fine and large motor skills, dexterity and coordination, which are vital for drawing, writing, dressing and more.</p>
<p><strong>2. active toys</strong> - including various outdoor toys, climbing equipment, sports equipment and ride-on toys. Active toys are great for general physical activity and motor skills development.</p>
<p><strong>3. learning toys</strong> - these include board and card games, books, and specific-skill toys such as letter identification and shape and colour sorters. </p>
<p><strong>4. creative toys</strong> - such as arts and craft materials, musical toys and instruments including digital music and drawing apps. </p>
<p><strong>5. make-believe</strong> - including dress ups and role play (costumes, clothing, hats, masks and accessories), stuffed toys, puppets, dolls, transportation toys. </p>
<h2>What to do with toys you don’t need</h2>
<p>It can be hard parting with beloved toys, those that have been part of a special collection or even just trying to clear out toys that have accumulated over the years. Many people find it <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1470593111418794">emotionally challenging</a> to give away toys and prefer to keep and pass them on to children and family members. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="box of Lego blocks organised into compartments." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/436028/original/file-20211207-19-oumje7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/436028/original/file-20211207-19-oumje7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/436028/original/file-20211207-19-oumje7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/436028/original/file-20211207-19-oumje7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/436028/original/file-20211207-19-oumje7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/436028/original/file-20211207-19-oumje7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/436028/original/file-20211207-19-oumje7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Keep your toys organised to facilitate better play.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">www.shutterstock.com</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>There are many charitable organisations that will be pleased to find new homes for good quality toys - <a href="https://www.salvationarmy.org.au/donate/clothing-and-goods/">The Salvation Army</a>, <a href="https://www.savethechildren.org.au/our-stories/we-want-your-pre-loved-items">Save the Children</a> and <a href="https://www.vinnies.org.au/page/Donate/Donate_Goods/">Vinnies</a> - all welcome toy donations, especially at this time of year. Also search “toy donation” in your area to find local organisations and make sure what you are giving is in good condition (if it’s a puzzle, make sure it has all the pieces!). </p>
<p>Online platforms selling used items or secondhand dealers are other options which will give your treasures a second life.</p>
<p>Finally, as we head into Christmas with Australians tipped to spend <a href="http://www.roymorgan.com/findings/8783-ara-media-release-countdown-to-christmas-202109100615">more than $11 billion on gifts</a>, it’s worthwhile having the list of “good” toys handy so you can easily answer friends and relatives when they inevitably ask “what can we get the kids for Christmas?”.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/172611/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Here are some ideas for dealing with existing toys, as well as the upcoming influx of new ones.Louise Grimmer, Senior Lecturer in Retail Marketing, University of TasmaniaMartin Grimmer, Professor of Marketing, University of TasmaniaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1717952021-12-16T17:46:41Z2021-12-16T17:46:41ZWhy toy shops — and Amazon — are tapping into paper catalogues<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/437883/original/file-20211215-6487-1g9q7j4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=7%2C5%2C1270%2C507&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Paper is part of seasonal marketing for both bricks and mortar and online retailers. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Joanne E. McNeish/(/Quicksilver Agency/YouTube)</span></span></figcaption></figure><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 175px; border: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;" allowtransparency="" src="https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/the-conversation-canada/why-toy-shops-—-and-amazon-—-are-tapping-into-paper-catalogues" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p>Did you receive them? Found in many mailboxes in this second pandemic holiday season were paper catalogues from Toys “R” Us, Mastermind Toys and perhaps most surprisingly, the <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2021/11/30/amazon-touts-record-sales-amid-weak-start-to-holiday-shopping-season.html">highly profitable digital retailer Amazon</a>. Amazon first launched a toy catalogue in 2018 and <a href="https://www.vox.com/the-goods/2018/11/7/18073356/amazon-holiday-shopping-mailers">mailed it to millions of customers</a>.</p>
<p>While it might seem that paper catalogues would be relegated to history with the advent of e-commerce, it seems as if, at least for these retailers, <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/business/consumer/catalogs-are-filling-retail-therapy-niche-pandemic-weary-shoppers-rcna5785">they are still part of doing business</a>.</p>
<p>To understand why catalogues formed part of these retailers’ promotional strategy, let’s explore some retail history. </p>
<h2>Connection to the past</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/postal-heritage-philately/canadian-mail-order-catalogues/Pages/catalogues-history.aspx">Almost 140 years ago</a>, <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/t-eaton-company-limited">department store retailer Eaton’s</a> produced its first mail-order catalogue, <a href="https://archive.macleans.ca/article/1952/11/1/when-sears-joins-up-with-simpsons">with Simpson’s following suit 10 years later</a>. </p>
<p>These catalogues are so important to the history of Canada that you can see them in the collections of the <a href="https://www.historymuseum.ca/cmc/exhibitions/cpm/catalog/cat0006e.html">Library and Archives Canada and the Canadian Museum of history</a>. Some Christmas catalogues grew <a href="https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/holidays/christmas-ideas/a29729515/sears-wish-book-history/">to hundreds of pages</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Black-and-white photo of a row of workers sitting at desks with packages." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/437341/original/file-20211213-19-1vac05u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/437341/original/file-20211213-19-1vac05u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=461&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/437341/original/file-20211213-19-1vac05u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=461&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/437341/original/file-20211213-19-1vac05u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=461&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/437341/original/file-20211213-19-1vac05u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=579&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/437341/original/file-20211213-19-1vac05u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=579&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/437341/original/file-20211213-19-1vac05u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=579&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Catalogue mailing room in Toronto, 1953.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Sears Canada. Panda Photography. Library and Archives Canada, e011172127/Flickr)</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Nostalgia and childhood</h2>
<p>The way we celebrate holidays is based in part on what we learned from our families as children. Consumer studies researchers have examined how holidays ideally involve the creation of special foods that take time and effort, the coming together of special people in our lives and <a href="https://www.acrwebsite.org/volumes/7324/volumes/v19/NA-19">making memories that we recall with pleasure long afterwards</a>. </p>
<p>Thinking positively about people, events or places that happened <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/cb.127">in the past is called nostalgia</a>. We can even feel nostalgia for something that occurred before we were born through seeing objects from the past, or hearing the memories of others. </p>
<p>Some contemporary consumers or their grandparents in Canada today had the experience of receiving or reading the Eaton’s and Sears Christmas catalogues as children. Sears even called <a href="https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/holidays/christmas-ideas/a29729515/sears-wish-book-history/">their Christmas catalogue the “wish book.”</a></p>
<p>Amazon, once focused on <a href="https://www.amazon.ca/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=GCGHC5WQLAN5P7RX">promoting products with a digital wish list</a>, promoted its 2020 catalogue as a “<a href="https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/retail/peek-inside-amazons-2020-holiday-wish-book">Holiday Wish Book</a>” and this year describes it as <a href="https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/retail/ready-set-play-amazons-holiday-kids-gift-book-is-here">a holiday kids book</a>.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-the-holiday-buying-season-adds-fuel-to-a-rapidly-warming-planet-172854">How the holiday buying season adds fuel to a rapidly warming planet</a>
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<p>While it is possible to remember without physical artifacts, the three dimensional and tactile information <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/bjet.13014">received from interacting with paper documents</a> help to reinforce people’s memories and knowledge retrieval. People may have had the experience of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IsRrQaIoQEY&t=3s">going carefully through each catalogue page</a>, marking it up and folding down the pages — whether or not they received what they wanted. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="The front window of store on a street says 'Simpson's.'" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/437343/original/file-20211213-21-jgiz6c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/437343/original/file-20211213-21-jgiz6c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=567&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/437343/original/file-20211213-21-jgiz6c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=567&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/437343/original/file-20211213-21-jgiz6c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=567&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/437343/original/file-20211213-21-jgiz6c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=712&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/437343/original/file-20211213-21-jgiz6c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=712&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/437343/original/file-20211213-21-jgiz6c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=712&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Simpson’s mail order office, Sarnia, Ont., 1952.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Sears Canada. Photo Engravers and Electrotypers Ltd. Library and Archives Canada, e011172139 / Flickr)</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>As Archives Ontario notes, not only did the Eaton’s catalogue make an emotional impression, it even <a href="http://www.archives.gov.on.ca/en/explore/online/eatons/catalogues.aspx">made its way into some Canadian literature</a>.
For example, in <em>The Hockey Sweater</em>, by Québec writer <a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/24417/the-hockey-sweater-by-roch-carrier-illustrated-by-sheldon-cohen/9780735268685">Roch Carrier</a>, a devastating <a href="https://www.historymuseum.ca/cmc/exhibitions/cpm/catalog/cat2208e.html">mail-order mixup</a> means a most unwanted Toronto Maple Leafs sweater from Eaton’s arrives at his childhood home.</p>
<h2>Emotion aside, how do catalogues influence sales?</h2>
<p>While nostalgia can be a powerful motivator for consumers who consider shopping today at physical toy stores or online retailers, companies must consider catalogues’ effects on sales and return on the investment. </p>
<figure class="align-left ">
<img alt="Catalogue cover showing child looking at a Christmas tree." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/437349/original/file-20211213-19-o0ic8c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/437349/original/file-20211213-19-o0ic8c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=800&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/437349/original/file-20211213-19-o0ic8c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=800&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/437349/original/file-20211213-19-o0ic8c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=800&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/437349/original/file-20211213-19-o0ic8c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1005&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/437349/original/file-20211213-19-o0ic8c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1005&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/437349/original/file-20211213-19-o0ic8c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1005&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">1966 Sears Christmas catalogue.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/jeepersmedia/27151417830">(Mike Mozart/Flickr)</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><a href="https://www.referenceforbusiness.com/history2/2/Toys-R-Us-Inc.html">Toys “R” Us</a> and <a href="https://www.mastermindtoys.com/pages/about-us">Mastermind Toys</a> (both physical stores) <a href="https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/amazon-opens-for-business">and Amazon</a> have a short corporate histories compared to Eaton’s and Simpson’s (later Simpsons-Sears), and none had mail-order businesses. Mastermind Toys and Amazon grew up during the advent of e-commerce, so using this seemingly old-fashioned technology seems curious.</p>
<p>But let’s consider that while social media seems to attract consumers’ attention and quickly, <a href="https://www.canadapost-postescanada.ca/blogs/business/marketing/amazon-goes-analog-with-catalogue/">digital clutter is a common consumer complaint</a>. </p>
<p>Home-delivered paper catalogues can be part of leisure reading and <a href="https://www.inderscience.com/info/inarticle.php?artid=65380">are artifacts with esthetic, symbolic and instrumental value</a>. Catalogues present images and text that are viewed as the retailer intended, without the mediation imposed by the consumer’s screen size and device capabilities.</p>
<p>Paper catalogues create <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/S0022-4359(01)00066-5">a richer sensory experience compared to a digital catalogue or online store</a>. Touch creates <a href="https://doi.org/10.1509/jmkg.70.4.056">a sense of ownership and so consumers may be more likely</a> to purchase. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/consumers-value-a-product-viewed-online-more-if-they-see-it-being-virtually-touched-171915">Consumers value a product viewed online more if they see it being virtually touched</a>
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<p>For toy companies, the October to December period represents almost 50 per cent <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/472510/quarterly-retail-sales-of-toys-games-and-hobby-supplies-canada">of their yearly sales</a>. The critical job for toy retailers is to get the attention of consumers for their store. As Canada Post argues in a 2015 report promoting direct mail, research suggests direct mail <a href="https://www.canadapost-postescanada.ca/blogs/business/marketing/break-through-the-noise-get-your-marketing-messages-noticed/">paper catalogues can serve as an effective trigger for visiting an online store, and their physical presence in the home</a> and in leisure spaces can act as an ongoing prompt or reminder to visit. </p>
<h2>Connect in new way?</h2>
<p>So in addition to selling toys, why is Amazon sending out paper catalogues? Amazon is likely concerned about its brand. The company has faced <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2020/feb/05/amazon-workers-protest-unsafe-grueling-conditions-warehouse">widespread condemnation of its labour practices</a>. It has responded with <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bk2-s5iIUj8">commercials featuring happy employees</a> with varied abilities <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKsXj5G_TmA">and gender identities</a>. </p>
<p>In the face of criticism of its impact on small and medium retailers, Amazon set up <a href="https://www.amazon.ca/b?ie=UTF8&node=21225593011">its Shop Local Campaign</a> to promote products from small and medium Canadian companies. I believe sending paper catalogues helps them tap into the long tradition of Christmas catalogues and connect in an emotional and surprising way with their customers.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/171795/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Joanne E. McNeish does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The sensory importance of touch and nostalgia are some reasons retailers won’t turn the page on paper catalogues.Joanne E. McNeish, Associate Professor, Marketing, Toronto Metropolitan UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1731952021-12-12T14:46:14Z2021-12-12T14:46:14ZParents should do research on toy recalls before buying Christmas gifts<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/436765/original/file-20211209-188518-160zfpi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=8%2C0%2C5455%2C3645&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">In the highly competitive toy industry, companies often take too long to issue safety recalls.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(AP Photo/Matt Dunham)</span></span></figcaption></figure><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 175px; border: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;" allowtransparency="" src="https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/the-conversation-canada/parents-should-do-research-on-toy-recalls-before-buying-christmas-gifts" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p>’Tis the season for toys, as children compile their Christmas wish lists with <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2021/08/05/skateboards-scooters-help-fuel-19percent-bump-in-first-half-2021-toy-sales-.html">Pokemon or Barbie or Star Wars action figures.</a> The worldwide toy market is worth about US$100 billion <a href="https://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/5414970/global-toy-market-2021-edition-analysis-by">and the pandemic has seen an increase in toy sales as more kids were stuck at home</a>.</p>
<p>But how safe are toys? And when there is a design or manufacturing defect that could harm children, how do companies respond?</p>
<p>I recently co-authored <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2021.10.035">a research study that looked at how long it takes toy companies to recall products that pose a safety hazard</a>. Our research suggests that in many cases, recalls for toys that pose serious safety threats often take longer to be issued than for toys that have less serious safety issues.</p>
<h2>Delayed response on recalls</h2>
<p>Several factors seem to play into the delayed response for a company to issue a recall, including potential damage to the firm’s reputation and bottom-line concerns about the negative impact recalls would have on sales.</p>
<p>While <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/30047964">government regulators can order mandatory recalls by firms</a>, companies are also expected to announce what’s known as <a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/consumer-product-safety/reports-publications/industry-professionals/recalling-consumer-products-guide-industry.html#a4">voluntary recalls if they become aware of a product defect</a>.</p>
<p>The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reported that in 2020, <a href="https://www.cpsc.gov/Newsroom/News-Releases/2022/Making-a-List-Checking-it-Twice-Tips-for-Celebrating-Safely-this-Holiday-Season">there were nearly 150,000 toy-related injuries and nine deaths among children ages 14 and younger</a>. Most of the deaths came from children choking on small parts of toys.</p>
<p>From a business perspective, recalls are a crisis event for a company. Firms face a dilemma when recalling defective products that have caused injuries and deaths. Timing decisions on recalls signal the extent of responsibility the firm is willing to assume for the crisis.</p>
<h2>Level of hazard can influence decisions</h2>
<p>Hazard severity across all industries can significantly influence decisions about recalls. For example, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2002/03/23/your-money/IHT-tylenol-made-a-hero-of-johnson-johnson-the-recall-that-started.html">while Johnson & Johnson recalled millions of Tylenol bottles within a week in 1982</a> after product tampering resulted in several deaths, <a href="https://money.cnn.com/2010/01/15/news/companies/over_the_counter_medicine_recall/index.htm">the pharmaceutical company took two years to recall products with less severe concerns</a> such as a bad smell.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A family looks at wrapped gifts in front of a Christmas tree" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/436772/original/file-20211209-140267-ohe3wo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/436772/original/file-20211209-140267-ohe3wo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/436772/original/file-20211209-140267-ohe3wo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/436772/original/file-20211209-140267-ohe3wo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/436772/original/file-20211209-140267-ohe3wo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/436772/original/file-20211209-140267-ohe3wo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/436772/original/file-20211209-140267-ohe3wo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Before buying gifts, parents and grandparents should do research on toy companies to determine if they have a history of recalling faulty products.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Early recalls of defective toys could prevent injuries and deaths. However, from the firm’s point of view, early recalls could suggest to their stakeholders there are systemic problems within the company that could lead to high costs, reputational damage and public backlash.</p>
<p>The toy industry is highly competitive and subject to seasonality — meaning the Christmas shopping period is crucial. Toys also have short life cycles. All these factors place pressure on prices and profit margins of the firms in the industry and those pressures impact how recalls are handled. </p>
<h2>Children are the consumers</h2>
<p>This conflict between public safety and business profits is especially problematic for the toy industry. While the customers are parents or adults, the consumers are children.</p>
<p>Our study looked at toy recalls in the United States over a 30-year period. There were 833 recalls issued by 445 firms from 1988 to 2018. The products include all kinds of children’s toys, including musical toys, activity toys, water toys, dolls and stuffed toys.</p>
<p>There are generally two types of product defects that lead to recalls in the toy industry: problems related to the design of a toy — such as the presence of small and detachable parts like button-eyes and beads, as well as strings or other design flaws that could lead to strangulation — or problems resulting from manufacturing defects, including the presence of banned or unapproved materials like lead paint, faulty assembly or substandard parts that break or crack.</p>
<h2>Shifting the blame</h2>
<p>While companies generally design their own toys, they almost always outsource the manufacturing process — and our research showed whether a hazard was based on a design flaw or manufacturing problem impacted the length of time it took for a company to issue a recall.</p>
<p>Our study indicates that for defective products that posed severe hazards, the time to recall was longer for design-related recalls.</p>
<p>In cases where design defects lead to severe hazards, firms may be less motivated to issue a quick recall because they would prefer a detailed investigation and assessment of accountability to communicate the remedial steps before issuing the recall.</p>
<p>Recalls happen more swiftly when the blame for the defect can be attributed to manufacturing problems, <a href="https://doi.org/10.18657/yonveek.350583">allowing companies to reduce their reputational damage</a> by riding on consumer impressions that <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1740-8784.2008.00105.x">overseas manufacturers are mainly responsible for product defects</a> — even though previous research by one of our study’s co-authors, Hari Bapuji of the University of Melbourne, suggested that <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/faulty-designs-responsible-for-75-of-toy-recalls-study-1.650925">faulty designs were responsible for 75 per cent of all toy recalls</a>.</p>
<p>Another surprising finding from our research is how toy companies that have issued previous recalls respond to new defects.</p>
<h2>Reputational risks of recalls</h2>
<p>While it was expected that experienced firms would recall defective products that posed severe hazards faster because they know the process to deal with such failures efficiently — <a href="https://doi.org/10.1509/jm.15.0074">as was suggested in auto recalls</a> — our study found that toy companies that had issued previous recalls took longer to recall toys that posed more severe hazards than those with less serious problems. The reason could be that recalling products that pose a severe hazard to consumers involve higher costs for the firms and potential loss of customers.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1466404263219843073"}"></div></p>
<p>So how can you know if the toys on your children’s Christmas lists are safe?</p>
<p>It’s important for parents to do their due diligence on toy companies by following a firm’s track record of recalls before buying.</p>
<p>Non-profit organizations like <a href="https://uspirgedfund.org/page/usf/list-recalled-toys">the Public Interest Research Group track toy recalls</a>. Consumers can also help by <a href="https://www.saferproducts.gov/IncidentReporting">reporting defective products to regulatory bodies like the Consumer Products Safety Commission</a>.</p>
<p>But our study also suggests that that government regulatory bodies need to step up and tighten regulations to keep dangerous products off our store shelves by requiring toy firms to report their past recalls when reporting new issues with a product.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/173195/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Etayankara Muralidharan receives funding from MacEwan University-School of Business. </span></em></p>How safe is the toy you may be buying for someone this Christmas? New research suggests that toy companies often take too long to issue recalls after they become aware of safety hazards.Etayankara Muralidharan, Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of IB, Marketing, Strategy, & Law, MacEwan UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1697422021-10-15T03:29:50Z2021-10-15T03:29:50ZCaring or killing: harmful gender stereotypes kick in early — and may be keeping girls away from STEM<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/426589/original/file-20211014-19-1u4h3a1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=12%2C6%2C4304%2C2679&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Patricia Prudente / Unsplash</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Gender stereotypes begin in early childhood. Bright pink “toys for girls” and blue “toys for boys” are sold on store shelves around the world. </p>
<p>In the boys’ section you’ll find <a href="https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/2013/02/when-are-science-toys-just-boys">science, construction and warfare toys</a> — perhaps a motorised robot, or a telescope. In the girls’ lane you’ll get toys related to cleaning, prams, dolls, kitchens, makeup, jewellery and crafts. </p>
<p>Our research, <a href="https://bera-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/berj.3767">published this week</a>, shows by the early years of primary school, gender stereotypes from a variety of sources have already influenced children — leading them to aspire to “traditional” male and female vocations. </p>
<p>This flows into <a href="https://www.lettoysbetoys.org.uk/why-it-matters/">lower numbers of girls</a> taking STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) subjects at school. In turn, this means fewer women are going on to work in the sciences. Women make up only <a href="https://www.aauw.org/resources/research/the-stem-gap/">28% of the STEM workforce</a>. </p>
<p>The gender gap is particularly high in the fastest-growing and highest-paid jobs of the future, such as computer science and engineering. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/we-must-include-more-women-in-physics-it-would-help-the-whole-of-humanity-165096">We must include more women in physics — it would help the whole of humanity</a>
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</p>
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<h2>Gender-related aspirations are concerning</h2>
<p>We spoke with 332 students (176 girls and 156 boys) from 14 schools and found 7- and 8-year-old children have already made up their minds about what jobs they want in the future. Girls overwhelmingly aspire to traditionally “feminine” jobs, while boys are attracted to “masculine” pursuits.</p>
<p>For example, the top three choices for boys include careers in professional sports, STEM-related jobs, and policing or defence. Meanwhile, girls either want to be teachers, work with animals, or pursue a career in the arts.</p>
<iframe title="Year 3 students' career aspirations" aria-label="table" id="datawrapper-chart-SRoxP" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/SRoxP/3/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="border: none;" width="100%" height="595"></iframe>
<p>There are obvious patterns in girls’ and boys’ career choices which can be linked to gender stereotypes. Many girls talked about “feminine” ideas such as caring or helping others. They told us:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>I want to work in a zoo because I want to take care of the animals — <strong>Sophie</strong></p>
<p>I want to be a nurse because I want to help people if they are hurt and take care of my Dad, and other people — <strong>Kate</strong></p>
</blockquote>
<p>They also talked about love, another traditionally “feminine” ideal.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>I want to be a mother because I love babies — <strong>Maddi</strong></p>
<p>I want to be a teacher because I love little kids — <strong>Sara</strong></p>
</blockquote>
<p>On the other hand, the boys’ reasoning for their career choices heavily featured “masculine” themes, such as making money and having power over others. For instance, they wanted to work in the police force because:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>I get to arrest people — <strong>Dan</strong></p>
<p>I want to shoot guns — <strong>Harry</strong></p>
<p>I can put people under arrest — <strong>Josh</strong></p>
</blockquote>
<p>Or they wanted jobs that highlighted traditionally masculine attributes such as strength, dominance and physicality.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>I want to be an assassin so I can kill people — <strong>Matt</strong></p>
<p>I want to be an army commando because you can shoot tanks — <strong>Ben</strong></p>
</blockquote>
<p>Clearly, boys’ and girls’ career <a href="https://www.oecd.org/education/career-readiness/Dream%20Jobs%20Teenagers'%20Career%20Aspirations%20and%20the%20Future%20of%20Work.pdf">aspirations</a> are very different, even at this young age. And young people’s career aspirations are a good indication of <a href="https://www.oecd.org/education/career-readiness/Dream%20Jobs%20Teenagers'%20Career%20Aspirations%20and%20the%20Future%20of%20Work.pdf">job trajectories as they transition to adulthood</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/426134/original/file-20211013-23-12am1z6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/426134/original/file-20211013-23-12am1z6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/426134/original/file-20211013-23-12am1z6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/426134/original/file-20211013-23-12am1z6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/426134/original/file-20211013-23-12am1z6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/426134/original/file-20211013-23-12am1z6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/426134/original/file-20211013-23-12am1z6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">There’s a noticeable link between young boys’ reported career aspirations, and the themes they’re exposed to through the toys that target them.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Ryan Quintal/Unsplash</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>But it’s not just about gender</h2>
<p>We also found differences in opinion that seemed to correlate with <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0001699318817594">social class</a>. Boys from affluent school communities (30%) aspired to STEM careers more than boys from disadvantaged school communities (8%), while girls from disadvantaged school communities had a greater desire to “help” and “care”. </p>
<p>These values can be <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01053/full">more important for</a> female students whose families have more traditional work- and family-related gender beliefs. If these girls go into STEM, they may go into the medical and life sciences, rather than fields such as physics or engineering, which are viewed by society as masculine.</p>
<p>Our findings help explain how gender-related trends continue to be visible in workplaces and industries, and why men from more socioeconomically advantaged communities are more likely to become employed in STEM jobs. </p>
<h2>Challenging old and outdated ideas</h2>
<p>We have to challenge problematic beliefs about the roles of men and women in society. And we have to challenge them early. One way to do this is to end the sale of gendered and stereotypical toys, which research has shown can give young children the <a href="https://www.naeyc.org/resources/topics/play/gender-typed-toys">wrong ideas about gender roles</a>.</p>
<p>Some stores and toy companies are finally under pressure to make this change.
Due to a law passed last month, department stores in <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/california-law-gender-neutral-toy-displays-department-stores/">California are now required</a> to display childrens’ products in a designated gender-neutral section. </p>
<p>Although the law stopped short of entirely outlawing separate sections for “boys” and “girls”, it makes California the first US state to work against reinforcing harmful gender stereotypes. </p>
<p>If you’re thinking there are plenty of gender-neutral toys available already — hello, LEGO? — think again. <a href="https://www.kiro7.com/news/trending/lego-remove-gender-bias-products/XR5O7QN2TRESJCOZKK6IJLHGG4/#:%7E:text=Researchers%20with%20Geena%20Davis%20Institute,with%20the%20brick%20building%20system.">One study</a> found 76% of parents said they would encourage their son to play with LEGO, but only 24% would recommend it to a daughter. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/426133/original/file-20211013-27-l097nx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/426133/original/file-20211013-27-l097nx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/426133/original/file-20211013-27-l097nx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/426133/original/file-20211013-27-l097nx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/426133/original/file-20211013-27-l097nx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/426133/original/file-20211013-27-l097nx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/426133/original/file-20211013-27-l097nx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">While LEGO is often touted as a gender-neutral toy for kids, the reality is many people still associate it with play for boys.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Ryan Quintal/Unsplash</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>LEGO, the world’s <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/lego-builds-on-its-position-as-worlds-no-1-toy-maker-11632843755">largest toy-maker</a>, this week announced its future products and marketing will be free of <a href="https://www.lego.com/en-us/aboutus/news/2021/september/lego-ready-for-girls-campaign">gender bias and harmful stereotypes</a>. </p>
<p>The company’s recently launched Ready for Girls campaign will celebrate girls who rebuild the world through creative problem-solving. This is a start. Hopefully more companies will follow suit. </p>
<p>We should stop telling children that what constitutes acceptable play depends on their gender. Let’s let girls be scientist and boys be carers, if that’s what they want. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/legos-return-to-gender-neutral-toys-is-good-news-for-all-kids-our-research-review-shows-why-169722">Lego's return to gender neutral toys is good news for all kids. Our research review shows why</a>
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</em>
</p>
<hr>
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/169742/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Laura Scholes receives funding from the Australian Research Council </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Sarah McDonald does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>We spoke to 332 Year 3 students about what they want to be when they grow up. Some responses raised alarms.Laura Scholes, Associate Professor and ARC Principal Research Fellow, Australian Catholic UniversitySarah McDonald, Research Associate, University of South AustraliaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1697222021-10-13T04:40:09Z2021-10-13T04:40:09ZLego’s return to gender neutral toys is good news for all kids. Our research review shows why<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/426055/original/file-20211012-27-maq2wo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C4115%2C2733&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Matt Hudson/Unsplash</span></span></figcaption></figure><p><a href="https://www.lego.com/en-id/aboutus/news/2021/september/lego-ready-for-girls-campaign/">Lego announced this week</a> it would work to remove gender stereotypes from its brand, including no longer marketing toys distinctly to boys or girls and ensuring products are gender-neutral. </p>
<p>This move by one of the world’s most powerful brands comes in response to <a href="https://seejane.org/wp-content/uploads/LEGO-Ready-for-Girls-Creativity-Study.pdf">research the Danish toy manufacturer commissioned</a> to understand how parents and children think about creativity.</p>
<p>The survey of nearly 7,000 parents and children across seven countries found strong endorsement of traditional gender roles among both boys and girls, with 78% of boys and 73% of girls agreeing “it’s okay to teach boys to be boys and girls to be girls”. </p>
<p>71% of boys were worried about being judged or made fun of for playing with toys gendered for girls and 54% of parents worry their sons will be made fun of if they play with toys associated with girls, compared to only 26% of parents worrying about the reverse. </p>
<p>Overall, the results suggest boys feel more pressure to conform to gender roles and norms for creative activities than girls. But the perceptions and beliefs of others may also be holding girls back. When toys are gendered, all children pay the price.</p>
<p>We recently conducted a <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1836939121999849?casa_token=lFd5hGC155YAAAAA%3A5ETMgtwCFUJ42vTBhMxP_swrS44IYVgkTRMuOdcX_4NZjLpbFQhAxAuXHehz3sAqxxOACbtTqjSGqg&journalCode=aeca">systematic review of gender stereotypes and biases in early childhood</a>. </p>
<p>Awareness of gender as a social category develops early in life, and insight into some gender stereotypes begins early. For example, preschool aged children can <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1023%2FA%3A1007084516910">hold beliefs</a> such as only boys can be policemen and only girls can be teachers or nurses.</p>
<p>Gender and racial stereotyping and prejudice can be observed in children as young as three to four years of age, as children take on cues from around them to decode and understand the world. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/426084/original/file-20211013-23-1rg9tfc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Boys and girls play with lego." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/426084/original/file-20211013-23-1rg9tfc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/426084/original/file-20211013-23-1rg9tfc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/426084/original/file-20211013-23-1rg9tfc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/426084/original/file-20211013-23-1rg9tfc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/426084/original/file-20211013-23-1rg9tfc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/426084/original/file-20211013-23-1rg9tfc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/426084/original/file-20211013-23-1rg9tfc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Teaching children construction toys ‘aren’t for girls’ can discourage girls going into STEM fields.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Shopping and ‘fixing things’</h2>
<p>When children observe different toys and tasks for different groups, they can <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs11218-015-9320-z">learn stereotypes and prejudices</a>, such as viewing shopping as an activity for girls and “fixing things” and using tools as activities for boys. This can reinforce rigid binary views of gender.</p>
<p>Such stereotypes and prejudices can be carried throughout life, making early childhood critical for setting the foundations for lifelong attitudes. </p>
<p>The Lego research found parents were more likely to encourage their daughters to engage in activities that are more cognitive, artistic and performative (dressing up, dancing, colouring, singing and arts and crafts), and more likely to encourage their sons to engage more in digital activities, science and building.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/barbie-for-boys-the-gendered-tyranny-of-the-toy-store-34979">Barbie for boys? The gendered tyranny of the toy store</a>
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</em>
</p>
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<p>Beliefs and expectations about what types of toys and play are appropriate for girls and boys can compound over time. </p>
<p><a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1023%2FA%3A1007084516910">Some studies</a> show that play with some stereotypical girls’ toys, such as princess toys, is associated with more female gender-stereotypical behaviour among children. </p>
<p>Not engaging in play with construction toys may mean girls miss opportunities to develop spatial skills and mechanical reasoning skills necessary for careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics: fields in which <a href="https://www.sciencegenderequity.org.au/gender-equity-in-stem/">women continue to be under-represented</a>.</p>
<h2>Rigid gender lines</h2>
<p>Toys are only one way in which children learn gender roles and stereotypes: they also learn from who they see around them in their daily lives, from the books they read and the TV shows they watch. </p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/426082/original/file-20211012-25-soi9sl.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Young girl in overalls, holding lego blocks." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/426082/original/file-20211012-25-soi9sl.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/426082/original/file-20211012-25-soi9sl.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=761&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/426082/original/file-20211012-25-soi9sl.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=761&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/426082/original/file-20211012-25-soi9sl.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=761&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/426082/original/file-20211012-25-soi9sl.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=957&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/426082/original/file-20211012-25-soi9sl.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=957&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/426082/original/file-20211012-25-soi9sl.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=957&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Lego’s advertising, like this one from 1981, shows the company used to be a lot less rigid around gender.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Lego</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Parents and caregivers have a key role in encouraging children of all genders to engage with a wide range of activities and toys.</p>
<p>But since the 1970s, toys have become <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2014/12/toys-are-more-divided-by-gender-now-than-they-were-50-years-ago/383556/">increasingly and rigidly</a> demarcated along binary gender lines. </p>
<p>Even Lego’s own marketing history demonstrates this: compare the gender neutral advertisements <a href="https://womenyoushouldknow.net/little-girl-1981-lego-ad-grown-shes-got-something-say/">from the early 1980s</a> to more <a href="https://www.lego.com/en-au/product/olivia-s-deluxe-bedroom-41329">recent gender specific marketing</a> with pink bricks and heart shapes.</p>
<p>The prevention of potentially harmful gender attitudes and stereotypes in childhood – before they become entrenched – is a key element in moves to achieve gender equity and to support health and wellbeing throughout life. </p>
<p>Efforts to reduce the gendered nature of toys and their marketing is one step we can take to give all children more equitable options for how they see themselves, the world, and their future.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/beyond-pink-and-blue-the-quiet-rise-of-gender-neutral-toys-95147">Beyond pink and blue: the quiet rise of gender-neutral toys</a>
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</p>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/169722/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Naomi Priest receives funding from the ARC, NHMRC and from government and non-government sources.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Tania King receives funding from the Australian Research Council (DE200100607).</span></em></p>We reviewed research into gender stereotypes and biases in early childhood, and found gender as a social category develops early in life, and insight into some gender stereotypes begins early.Naomi Priest, Professor, ANU Centre for Social Research and Methods, Australian National UniversityTania King, Research Fellow, The University of MelbourneLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1587462021-05-07T12:44:58Z2021-05-07T12:44:58ZPopping toys, the latest fidget craze, might reduce stress for adults and children alike<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/398729/original/file-20210504-23-va72wt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C5974%2C3988&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Popping toys like this one can relieve stress and anxiety and are just plain fun.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/cute-faceless-child-playing-pop-fidget-1948671091">Inna Reznik/Shutterstock.com</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>The newest fidget craze is popping toys. Adults and kids <a href="https://www.bountyparents.com.au/news-views/pop-it-fidget-toy-craze/">all over the world</a> have been <a href="https://www.newsday.com/lifestyle/family/popping-toys-long-island-1.50198045">buying up</a> this endlessly reusable version of a longtime favorite fidget activity: popping bubble wrap. Made of silicone and coming in a range of colors, shapes and sizes, they are half-sphere “bubbles” that can be pushed in, making a satisfying soft popping sound. After “popping” them all, you can turn the toy over and start again from the other side. </p>
<p>Some might remember the <a href="https://theconversation.com/fidget-toys-arent-just-hype-77456">fidget spinner craze of 2017</a> and the controversy that these devices caused, with some teachers even <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2017/06/01/schools-are-banning-fidget-spinners-calling-them-nuisances-and-even-dangerous/">banning them from classrooms</a>. Popping toys raise the perennial question of whether and when fidget toys might be useful. Are they a nuisance? Or could having them help you or your children manage <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/09/us/quarantine-mental-health-gender.html">pandemic stress and fuzzy thinking</a>? </p>
<p>Over the past several years, <a href="https://setlab.soe.ucsc.edu/people.php">my research group</a> has taken a deep look at <a href="https://doi.org/10.1145/3196709.3196790">how children</a> <a href="https://doi.org/10.1145/2971485.2971557">and adults</a> use fidget toys and objects. What we found tells us that these items are not <a href="https://theconversation.com/whats-behind-the-fidget-spinner-fad-77140">a fad that will soon disappear</a>. Despite sometimes being <a href="http://www.npr.org/2017/05/14/527988954/whirring-purring-fidget-spinners-provide-entertainment-not-adhd-help">annoying distractions for others</a>, fidget items seem to have practical uses for both adults and children, especially in stressful times.</p>
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<h2>Understanding fidgeting</h2>
<p>Fidgeting didn’t start with the popping toy and spinner crazes. If you’ve ever clicked a ballpoint pen again and again, you’ve used a fidget item. As part of our work, we’ve asked people what items they like to fidget with and how and when they use them. (We’ve been <a href="http://fidgetwidgets.tumblr.com">compiling their answers online</a> and welcome <a href="http://fidgetwidgets.tumblr.com/submit">additional contributions</a>.)</p>
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<img alt="silver and black USB thumb drive facing upwards" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/399282/original/file-20210506-17-14q6ps6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/399282/original/file-20210506-17-14q6ps6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/399282/original/file-20210506-17-14q6ps6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/399282/original/file-20210506-17-14q6ps6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/399282/original/file-20210506-17-14q6ps6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1131&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/399282/original/file-20210506-17-14q6ps6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1131&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/399282/original/file-20210506-17-14q6ps6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1131&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">People report using USB thumb drives as fidget items.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/flash-drive-closeup-on-white-background-royalty-free-image/1251951463">Yevgen Romanenko/Moment via Getty Images</a></span>
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<p>People often report that fidgeting with an object in their hand helps them stay focused when doing a long task or keeping still and attentive in a long meeting. Objects people fidget with include paper clips, USB thumb drives, earbuds and sticky tape. But people also buy specialized items such as a popping toys for this purpose.</p>
<h2>Fine-tuning for focus</h2>
<p>Psychology research about sensation seeking tells us that people often try to adjust their experiences and their environments so that they provide <a href="https://www.routledge.com/Sensation-Seeking-Psychology-Revivals-Beyond-the-Optimal-Level-of-Arousal/Zuckerman/p/book/9781315755496">just the right level of stimulation</a>. Different people function well under different circumstances. Some like total quiet to help them focus, while others are happiest working in a busy, noisy environment. </p>
<p>The optimal level of stimulation varies <a href="https://www.steelcase.com/insights/articles/quiet-ones/">among people</a> and can change for one person throughout the course of a day <a href="https://www.brainscape.com/blog/2015/07/noise-can-help-you-study/">depending on what they are trying to do</a>. People fine-tune their environments to get things just right – for example, <a href="https://www.15five.com/blog/getting-sht-done-in-an-open-office/">putting on headphones in a noisy office environment</a> to switch to less distracting noise.</p>
<p>A person who can’t get up and walk around to feel more energized or go have a cup of tea to calm down may find it helpful to use a fidget item to stay focused and calm while also staying put.</p>
<p>Another common reason for fidgeting that we saw among adults in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1145/2971485.2971557">our online study</a> is that some fidget objects – such as a favorite smooth stone – can be used to calm them down and achieve a more relaxed, contemplative or even mindful state. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1145/3196709.3196790">Children also</a> spoke about how fidget items help them manage emotions. For example, they might squeeze a stress ball when they feel angry, or they might stroke a soft, fuzzy toy when they are anxious.</p>
<h2>Relieving anxiety, focusing attention</h2>
<p>The self-reported data we got from adults and children aligns with <a href="https://www.brainbalancecenters.com/blog/2014/11/fidgeting-strategies-for-kids-with-neurodevelopmental-disorder/">anecdotal accounts</a> that fidget toys can help children with attention or anxiety issues stay focused and calm in the classroom. In fact, fidget toys have been <a href="https://www.therapyshoppe.com/category/8-fidget-toys">available for kids</a> to use for therapeutic purposes for quite some time. </p>
<p>There hasn’t yet been a definitive research study about the impact of these toys. In one <a href="https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ853381">preliminary study</a> looking at stress ball use, sixth graders who used these fidget toys during instruction independently reported that their “attitude, attention, writing abilities, and peer interaction improved.” </p>
<p>The closest significant research is a study by <a href="https://mindbrain.ucdavis.edu/people/jschweit">University of California, Davis behavioral science professor Julie Schweitzer</a> of <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/09297049.2015.1044511">letting children with ADHD fidget</a> – wriggle, bounce or otherwise move gently in place – while they work on a lab-based concentration task called the “<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.3758/BF03192844">flanker paradigm</a>.” She found that more overall movement in children with ADHD, as measured using an accelerometer on the ankle, did help them perform this cognitively demanding task. After I learned about her research, I approached Schweitzer to join forces, and we’re currently <a href="https://news.ucsc.edu/2020/07/fidget-ball.html">collaborating on the first rigorous study of the effects of fidget objects on people with ADHD</a>, with support from the National Institutes of Health. We aim to better understand how using fidget toys may support people’s cognition. </p>
<p>To do this, my team built a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1145/3290607.3313015">“smart” fidget ball</a> that senses when and how it’s used. Schweitzer’s team is tracking exactly when study participants fidget as they work, and how this correlates with changes in their performance on challenging thinking tasks. (If you happen to live in the Northern California Bay Area, <a href="https://bit.ly/3gZ7vq7">you can apply to take part in the study</a>.)</p>
<p>My group is also working with specialists in children’s social-emotional learning and technology, including <a href="https://www.kcl.ac.uk/people/petr-slovak">Petr Slovak of King’s College London</a>, to understand whether and how giving kids a “smart” fidget item that can respond to their touch might help calm them down and improve their self-soothing skills. We built a small “anxious creature” that children could hug and pet to calm it down. The creature begins with a fast heartbeat and then settles into happy purring once it is soothed. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1145/3274429">Early</a> <a href="https://doi.org/10.2196/14029">results</a> are promising and have recently been applied by commercial product developers to create <a href="https://www.purrble.com/">an interactive toy for calming kids</a>.
(I served briefly as a paid consultant on the toy’s initial research and development but have no ongoing financial stake.)</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="arms of a child wearing camo sweatshirt and holding a white fidget spinner at a school desk with pencil, eraser and green fidget spinner on desk in background" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/399290/original/file-20210506-13-1586bxc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/399290/original/file-20210506-13-1586bxc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/399290/original/file-20210506-13-1586bxc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/399290/original/file-20210506-13-1586bxc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/399290/original/file-20210506-13-1586bxc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/399290/original/file-20210506-13-1586bxc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/399290/original/file-20210506-13-1586bxc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Fidget spinners can be helpful and sometimes distracting in classrooms.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/6th-grade-girl-using-fidget-spinner-wellsville-new-york-usa-news-photo/929067606">Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images</a></span>
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<h2>Avoiding distraction</h2>
<p>If fidget items are so helpful, why were <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/fidget-spinners-banned-from-top-high-schools-2017-5">schools banning the spinners</a>, and why did <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/fidget-spinners-are-being-banned-from-classrooms-2017-5">teachers take them away</a>? Not all fidget items are created equal. Some are more distracting than others. The fidget items most therapists recommend can be used without looking and don’t attract other people’s attention too much with motion or noise. Fidget-spinner motion distracted other kids in classrooms. </p>
<p>Popping toys don’t have movement that attracts others’ eyes, but they do make some noise. Kids in our study reported that noise was a reason they got fidget toys taken away in class. For this reason, popping toys might not be as welcome as the world slowly returns to more in-person learning. But they might be great for kids (or adults) who can hit the mute button in online school and meetings. </p>
<p>[<em>You’re smart and curious about the world. So are The Conversation’s authors and editors.</em> <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/newsletters/the-daily-3?utm_source=TCUS&utm_medium=inline-link&utm_campaign=newsletter-text&utm_content=youresmart">You can read us daily by subscribing to our newsletter</a>.]</p>
<p>Though research is still ongoing, therapists’ practical experience and both adults’ and kids’ self-reflections suggest that fidget toys can be helpful for emotional and cognitive support. There may actually be some benefits in getting yourself or your child a fidget toy to power you through a wall of boring Zoom meetings or a stressful school day.</p>
<p><em>This is an updated version of <a href="https://theconversation.com/fidget-toys-arent-just-hype-77456">an article</a> originally published on May 17, 2017.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/158746/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Katherine Isbister has received gift funding in the past from Committee for Children, a non-profit, to support her research on smart fidgets, and currently has support from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for research into the efficacy of fidgeting devices. Isbister received consulting funds to transfer knowledge from her research team's basic research to aid in the design and development of the Purrble device, but has no financial stake in that product. </span></em></p>Though research is still ongoing, therapists’ practical experience and adults’ and kids’ self-reflections suggest that fidget toys can be helpful for emotional and cognitive support.Katherine Isbister, Professor of Computational Media, University of California, Santa CruzLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1462062020-10-12T18:45:15Z2020-10-12T18:45:15ZHow toy pianos went from child’s play into classical concert halls<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/359751/original/file-20200924-22-11tzoet.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=7%2C29%2C4881%2C3224&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>A child’s toy may seem like an unlikely candidate for the classical concert hall. Around the world, however, thousands of musicians gather every year for festivals, conferences and concerts dedicated to the toy piano. </p>
<p>Exploring its sound, range, and playing technique, these composers and performers congregate to talk about latest developments in toy piano music and perform new pieces.</p>
<p>Along with many festivals in the <a href="https://library.ucsd.edu/news-events/events/toy-piano-festival-2020/">US</a> and <a href="https://toypiano-weekend.de/en/out-of-this-world/">Germany</a>, <a href="https://music-as-play.wixsite.com/toypiano">Italy</a> and <a href="https://toymusic.modoo.at">Korea</a> have both held their first toy piano festival in recent years.</p>
<p>Pop artists such as <a href="https://www.facebook.com/schoenhut/photos/a.439767672722639/679368202095917/?type=1&theater">Bruno Mars</a> and groups such as <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_exesnCA5Y&ab_channel=Coldplay">Coldplay</a> have brought a larger audience to what was once considered a niche and experimental use of the instrument. Search “toy piano” or “tiny piano” on Twitter or Facebook and you’ll find countless posts featuring performers and composers using or discussing the instrument. </p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">Old music can sound new on a toy piano.</span></figcaption>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/jamming-with-your-toddler-how-music-trumps-reading-for-childhood-development-49660">Jamming with your toddler: how music trumps reading for childhood development</a>
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<h2>Serious music with a playful spin</h2>
<p>Toy pianos, despite being designed and marketed to children and families, have been used for decades to write everything from concertos to pop songs.</p>
<p>French composer <a href="https://www.yanntiersen.com/">Yann Tiersen</a> used one prominently in his score to the 2001 film Amélie to represent the title character’s inner child.</p>
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<p>Neil Diamond’s song, Shilo, is one of the earliest pop songs to feature toy piano (you can hear it in the bridge at about the 2:28 mark <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cm85iAo05TQ&ab_channel=NeilDiamond-Topic&t=2m25s">here</a>).</p>
<p>And John Cage’s 1940s suite for toy piano, where he took all the seriousness of writing for the piano and put a playful spin on it, came at a crucial moment in the mid-20th century; hard borders of the musical arts, which reached a limit of seriousness in the 1920s and 1930s, had started to break down. </p>
<p>This mixing of traditional “high music” with artefacts that might be considered juvenile, populist, naff, or domestic, was becoming more common — and more exciting. </p>
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<h2>Play and experimentation</h2>
<p>Toy pianos typically have a range of 12-36 keys, roughly one quarter the range of a full piano (though there are smaller and larger examples, too). </p>
<p>These acoustic instruments are made from a wood or plastic frame. They produce a bell-like sound when a small hammer hits a tube or flat piece of metal inside. </p>
<p>Unlike a typical piano, toy pianos are rarely tuned to perfection and can sound a bit off to the ear but many can’t help but be charmed by their tiny size, variety of colours and quirky inconsistent plonking.</p>
<p>With its history and connection to ideas of childhood, this instrument is commonly used to musically convey a sense of innocence and nostalgia.</p>
<p>Traditionally, art music composition can be very prescriptive and confined. The traditional conservatorium or university composition class teaches the rules of writing — what you can and cannot do with an instrument — but something about the toy piano invites play and experimentation. </p>
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<h2>Every toy piano is different</h2>
<p>Unlike many instruments used for composing, the toy piano is not standardised around the world.</p>
<p>There are dozens of makers who use different techniques and different materials giving every toy piano a unique sound, range, and register. This makes writing music for the piano a bit random — but for many of us, therein lies the fun. </p>
<p>If you write a piece of music for the toy piano and if a performer in another part of the world has enough keys on their instrument, they can play your piece in their own special way. It’s like a singer using their own unique voice to cover a song. </p>
<p><audio preload="metadata" controls="controls" data-duration="11" data-image="" data-title="A melody played on three different toy pianos. Composed and performed by Paul Smith." data-size="452527" data-source="Paul Smith" data-source-url="" data-license="CC BY-NC" data-license-url="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/">
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A melody played on three different toy pianos. Composed and performed by Paul Smith.
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Paul Smith</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/">CC BY-NC</a><span class="download"><span>442 KB</span> <a target="_blank" href="https://cdn.theconversation.com/audio/2050/toy-piano-melodies-x-3.mp3">(download)</a></span></span>
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<p>The composer gives up some control, which contrasts sharply with romantic and and modernist-era ideas that positioned the composer as a genius whose works should never be altered.</p>
<p>Many composers end up collecting toy pianos, which gives them a variety of sounds to play with. Australian composer Elena Kats-Chernin became known as the <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/music/from-a-low-key-start-plinking-marvellous-music-20090706-gdtmem.html">toy piano lady</a> at a Sydney toy store after buying eight in a row. I’m up to a modest five and am resisting buying my sixth. </p>
<p>Toy piano specialists are becoming more common as performers and <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6RbOvSLDvcZdSKES4XS8DF">composers</a> in demand. </p>
<p>Italian specialist <a href="http://antoniettaloffredo.com/">Antonietta Loffredo</a> has performed several times in Australia and released many recordings with the Australian art music label <a href="https://www.australiancomposers.com.au/">Wirripang</a>. You can hear her recordings of works by Australian composers on Spotify <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6RbOvSLDvcZdSKES4XS8DF">here</a>.</p>
<p>Margaret Leng Tan, a toy instrument virtuoso with many commissions and dedications to her name, was due to perform with toy piano at the Sydney Opera House this year but the concert was postponed due to COVID-19.</p>
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<p>As Margaret Leng Tan herself <a href="https://philipglass.com/recordings/toy_piano/">puts it</a>:</p>
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<p>I remain wholeheartedly intrigued by the toy piano’s magical overtones, hypnotic charm, and not least, its off-key poignancy. In the words of author John David Morley, “Sound combed from the keys of a stairway ascending faintly into sleep”. My composer-friends were similarly beguiled and driven to frenzied heights of creativity by this modest little instrument. </p>
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<h2>Escaping a rigid world</h2>
<p>Artists are always looking for new ways to challenge and surprise audiences. What is and isn’t accepted on the concert stage is constantly shifting and the rise of the toy piano suggests that we are ready to welcome new sounds and new instruments into the relatively closed world of classical music.</p>
<p>To many composers, the toy piano offers more than a symbolic representation of childhood — it provides an exciting escape from the strict and rigid world of formal contemporary art music. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/from-the-first-fleet-to-changi-australias-pianos-have-a-long-history-100320">From the First Fleet to Changi, Australia's pianos have a long history</a>
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<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Paul Smith is the co-artistic director of the group Blush Opera, which sometimes produces concerts and events featuring toy pianos.
</span></em></p>Toy pianos typically have a range of 12-36 keys, roughly one quarter the range of a full piano. But they are used by composers and music makers to write everything from concertos to pop songs.Paul Smith, Senior Lecturer in Music, University of New EnglandLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1275032019-12-22T20:21:15Z2019-12-22T20:21:15ZRobots, AI and drones: when did toys turn into rocket science?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/307353/original/file-20191217-164437-v0vz9j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=121%2C319%2C7227%2C4583&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Toys are becoming increasingly advanced, but this can be more of a hindrance than a perk.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://pixabay.com/photos/despaired-businessman-business-2261021/">Pixabay</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/">CC BY-NC</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>I’m a geek. And as a geek, I love my tech toys. But over time I’ve noticed toys are becoming harder to understand. </p>
<p>Some modern toys resemble advanced devices. There are flying toys, walking toys, and roving toys. A number of these require “configuring” or “connecting”. </p>
<p>The line between toy, gadget and professional device is blurrier than ever, as manufacturers churn out products including <a href="https://www.t3.com/features/best-kids-drones">drones for kids</a> and <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Hidden-Spy-Nanny-Camera-Wi-fi/dp/B07P7BCYZT">plush toys with hidden nanny cams</a>.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/looking-for-a-high-tech-gift-for-a-young-child-think-playgrounds-not-playpens-108325">Looking for a high-tech gift for a young child? Think playgrounds, not playpens</a>
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<p>With such a variety of sophisticated, and sometimes over-engineered products, it’s clear manufacturers have upped their game. </p>
<p>But why is this happening?</p>
<h2>The price of tech</h2>
<p>Toys these days seem to be designed with two major components in mind. It’s all about the smarts and rapid manufacture.</p>
<p>In modern toys, we see a considerable level of programmed intelligence. This can be used to control the toy’s actions, or have it respond to input to provide real time feedback and interaction – making it appear “smarter”.</p>
<p>This is all made possible by the falling price of technology. </p>
<p>Once upon a time, placing a microcontroller (a single chip microprocessor) inside a toy was simply uneconomical. </p>
<p>These days, they’ll <a href="https://au.rs-online.com/web/c/semiconductors/processors-microcontrollers/microcontrollers/">only set you back a few dollars</a> and allow significant computing power.</p>
<p>Microcontrollers are often WiFi and Bluetooth enabled, too. This allows “connected” toys to access a wide range of internet services, or be controlled by a smartphone.</p>
<p>Another boon for toy manufacturers has been the rise of prototype technologies, including 3D modelling, 3D printing, and low cost CNC (computer numerical control) milling. </p>
<p>These technologies allow the advanced modelling of toys, which can help design them to be “tougher”. </p>
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<p>
<em>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/not-childs-play-the-serious-innovation-behind-toy-making-128211">Not child’s play: The serious innovation behind toy making</a>
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<p>They also allow manufacturers to move beyond simple (outer) case designs and towards advanced multi-material devices, where the case of the toy forms an active part of the toy’s function. </p>
<p>Examples of this include hand grips (found on console controls and toys including Nerf Blasters), advanced surface textures, and internal structures which support shock absorption to protect internal components, such as wheel suspensions in toy cars.</p>
<h2>Bot helpers and robot dogs</h2>
<p>Many recent advancements in toys are there to appease our admiration of automatons, or self operating machines. </p>
<p>The idea that an inanimate object is transcending its static world, or is “thinking”, is one of the magical elements that prompts us to attach emotions to toys. </p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/307362/original/file-20191217-164454-10m1ehc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/307362/original/file-20191217-164454-10m1ehc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/307362/original/file-20191217-164454-10m1ehc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/307362/original/file-20191217-164454-10m1ehc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/307362/original/file-20191217-164454-10m1ehc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/307362/original/file-20191217-164454-10m1ehc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/307362/original/file-20191217-164454-10m1ehc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/307362/original/file-20191217-164454-10m1ehc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Anki’s Cozmo (the Vector’s predecessor) is an example of a cloud-connected robotic toy.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/robot-makes-origami-1317221207">shutterstock</a></span>
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<p>And manufacturers know this, with some toys designed specifically to drive emotional attachment. My favourite example of this is roaming robots, such as the artificially intelligent <a href="https://www.anki.com/en-us/vector.html">Anki Vector</a>. </p>
<p>With sensors and internet connectivity, the Vector drives around and interacts with its environment, as well as you. It’s even <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Vector-Robot-Anki-Hangs-Helps/dp/B07G3ZNK4Y">integrated with Amazon Alexa</a>.</p>
<p>Another sophisticated toy is Sony’s Aibo. This robot pet shows how advanced robotics, microelectronics, actuators (which allow movement), sensors, and programming can be used to create a unique toy experience with emotional investment.</p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/307359/original/file-20191217-164449-1voo3rp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/307359/original/file-20191217-164449-1voo3rp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/307359/original/file-20191217-164449-1voo3rp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/307359/original/file-20191217-164449-1voo3rp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/307359/original/file-20191217-164449-1voo3rp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/307359/original/file-20191217-164449-1voo3rp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/307359/original/file-20191217-164449-1voo3rp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/307359/original/file-20191217-164449-1voo3rp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Sony’s Aibo robot dog is cute, and robotic – it’s a geek’s dream pet.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/ho-chi-minh-city-vietnam-apr-1095006827">Shutterstock</a></span>
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<h2>Screens not included</h2>
<p>Toy manufacturers are also leveraging the rise of smartphones and portable computing. </p>
<p>Quadcopters (or drones) and other similar devices often don’t need to include their own display in the remote control, as video can be beamed to an attached device.</p>
<p>Some toys even use smartphones as the only control interface (used to control the toy), usually via an app, saving manufacturers from having to provide what is arguably the most expensive part of the toy.</p>
<p>This means a smartphone becomes an inherent requirement, without which the toy can’t be used. </p>
<p>It would be incredibly disappointing to buy a cool, new toy - only to realise you don’t own the very expensive device required to use it.</p>
<h2>My toys aren’t spying on me, surely?</h2>
<p>While spying may be the last thing you consider when buying a toy, there have been several reports of talking dolls <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/alltechconsidered/2016/12/20/506208146/this-doll-may-be-recording-what-children-say-privacy-groups-charge">recording in-home conversations</a>. </p>
<p>There are similar concerns with smart-home assistants such as Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and Apple’s Siri, which store <a href="https://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2018/may/31/ro-khanna/your-amazon-alexa-spying-you/">your voice recordings in the cloud</a>.</p>
<p>These concerns might also be warranted with toys such as the Vector, and Aibo. </p>
<p>In fact, anything that has a microphone, camera or wireless connectivity can be considered a privacy concern.</p>
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<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/just-like-hal-your-voice-assistant-isnt-working-for-you-even-if-it-feels-like-it-is-111177">Just like HAL, your voice assistant isn't working for you even if it feels like it is</a>
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<h2>Toys of the future</h2>
<p>We’ve established toys are becoming more sophisticated, but does that mean they’re getting better?</p>
<p><a href="https://www.gartner.com/smarterwithgartner/gartner-top-10-strategic-technology-trends-for-2020/">Various</a> <a href="https://www.accenture.com/us-en/insights/technology/technology-trends-2019">reports</a> indicate in 2020, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning will continue to be pervasive in our lives. </p>
<p>This means buying toys could become an even trickier task than it currently is. There are some factors shoppers can consider. </p>
<p>On the top of my list of concerns is the type and number of batteries a toy requires, and how to charge them. </p>
<p>If a device has <a href="https://theconversation.com/nearly-all-your-devices-run-on-lithium-batteries-heres-a-nobel-prizewinner-on-his-part-in-their-invention-and-their-future-126197">in-built lithium batteries</a>, can they be easily replaced? And if the toy is designed for outdoors, <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-batteries-have-started-catching-fire-so-often-68602">can it cope with the heat?</a> Most lithium-ion batteries degrade quickly in hot environments.</p>
<p>And does the device require an additional screen or smartphone? </p>
<p>It’s also worth being wary of what personal details are required to sign-up for a service associated with a toy - and if the toy can still function if its manufacturer should cease to exist, or the company should go bust.</p>
<p>And, as always, if you’re considering an advanced, “connected” toy, make sure to prioritise your security and privacy.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/127503/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Andrew Maxwell does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>At Christmas shopping, you may have noticed toys are becoming very complex. They fly, hop, jump and follow you around – some even need to be ‘connected’. But why are we seeing such technical advances?Andrew Maxwell, Senior Lecturer, University of Southern QueenslandLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1282112019-12-12T20:55:57Z2019-12-12T20:55:57ZNot child’s play: The serious innovation behind toy making<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/306500/original/file-20191212-85376-1tyehzo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C1976%2C1335&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">The Furby craze was a big deal in the 1990s, just like Cabbage Patch Kids were in the 1980s and Hatchimals were this decade.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(AP Photo/Gregory Bull)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Parents of young children will remember the <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/hatchimal-toy-christmas-online-hate-1.3904267">Hatchimal frenzy of 2016</a>, when a cute chick that hatches by itself took the toy market by storm during the holiday season. </p>
<p>The overwhelming popularity and instant shortage of Hatchimals left many scrambling and frustrated, and saw opportunistic third-party dealers sell the coveted $60 toy for hundreds of dollars. Worse, some had to explain to their kids why Santa would not be able to deliver on <a href="https://www.wusa9.com/article/features/what-s-trending/parents-prepare-for-hatchimal-less-holidays/357061137">this year’s list</a>.</p>
<p>The case of Hatchimals, much like the <a href="https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1048400">Furby craze</a> of 1998 or the <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/archives/the-crazy-cabbage-patch-doll-craze-of-1983-1.4456754">Cabbage Patch dolls riots</a> of 1983, are stark reminders that toy making is no kids’ game. Yet, despite a global toy market that weighs <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/194395/revenue-of-the-global-toy-market-since-2007/">US$90 billion</a> and directly contributes to <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/241130/us-toy-industry-number-of-jobs/">300,000 jobs</a> in the United States alone, most parents go about their holiday shopping without considering the creativity that goes into developing toys.</p>
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<p>Over time, consumers have come to expect a never-ending influx of new toys. Take for instance Lego, known for rolling out over <a href="https://gizmodo.com/everything-you-always-wanted-to-know-about-lego-5019797">one hundred original sets</a> of bricks every year. Or the fact that more than 5,000 toys are currently available online, many of which, such as a gravity-defying remote control vehicle or a <a href="https://www.cnet.com/news/best-tech-toys-for-kids-2019/">self-balancing Star Wars droid</a>, are highly touted additions.</p>
<p>As we have come to know at Ryerson University through our new <a href="https://continuing.ryerson.ca/public/category/courseCategoryCertificateProfile.do?method=load&certificateId=293539">Toy Invention program</a>, in partnership with Spin Master, Shenkar College and OCAD University, these innovations are serious and intricate ventures, backed by science and carried out by a range of passionate experts.</p>
<h2>The genesis of toys</h2>
<p>As is the case in other consumer products, innovations often stem from a gap in the market, be it a new toy for a particular age bracket, an emerging interest, or an opportunity to leverage a given entertainment intellectual property. Toy companies are also on the lookout for the hottest internet craze and influencers to stand out in this crowded market. </p>
<p>Examples include the <a href="https://www.thesun.co.uk/fabulous/10416877/baby-shark-singing-christmas-toy/">collaboration between WowWee and Pinkfong</a>, creators of the ear worm “Baby Shark” song, or 16-year-old YouTube influencer Jojo Siwa’s <a href="https://www.toynews-online.biz/2017/10/09/just-play-spin-master-and-sambro-ready-jojo-siwa-toy-lines-with-nickelodeon/">deals with Just Play, Spin Master and Sambro</a>.</p>
<p>Toy makers are also paying attention to the older crowd and kids at heart: collectables, board games and role-playing toys are increasingly designed for devoted fans of popular TV shows and movies like <em>Game of Thrones</em> and <em>Star Wars</em>.
You may want to <a href="https://time.com/5743767/baby-yoda-toy-christmas/">pre-order your baby Yoda doll</a> now before they run out.</p>
<p>Factors such as rapid changes in consumer demand, turbulence in the retail side (due mainly to <a href="https://io9.gizmodo.com/toys-r-us-is-open-for-business-again-but-theres-a-biza-1840202297">the ongoing difficulties of Toys “R” Us</a>), demographic shifts and lower birth rates also explain why toy makers seek to diversify their offerings and cater to adults.</p>
<p>Turning raw material into something that sparks kids’ imagination, promote social and motor skills development or perhaps even trigger career aspirations, is no small endeavour. Involved in this process are designers, artists, videographers and engineers, in addition to marketers, sales representatives and everyone in between. These innovators leverage the latest science — psychology, early childhood development, linguistics, physics, computer modelling — and use techniques such as biomimicry to replicate nature’s work (such as hatching). </p>
<p>Yet no innovation process is foolproof. For every product that hit the shelves, hundreds of ideas are generated, prototyped and ultimately canned. Others simply become dormant, waiting for the right time to surface. </p>
<p>Success is also not guaranteed for those who make it to market. Poorly designed toys can even draw attention for the wrong reasons and lead to commercial failures.</p>
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<h2>Making toys or walking the minefield</h2>
<p>When designing a new product, toy companies face an array of concerns around ethics, safety and stereotypes. Take for instance Lego, which struggled for years to come up with a product line that would successfully engage girls in the world of creative construction. In 2012 the company finally struck gold with Lego Friends, which was based around female characters with meaningful jobs and interests, such as a scientist and a fashion designer.</p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/306502/original/file-20191212-85386-18xv2mm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/306502/original/file-20191212-85386-18xv2mm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/306502/original/file-20191212-85386-18xv2mm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/306502/original/file-20191212-85386-18xv2mm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/306502/original/file-20191212-85386-18xv2mm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/306502/original/file-20191212-85386-18xv2mm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/306502/original/file-20191212-85386-18xv2mm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/306502/original/file-20191212-85386-18xv2mm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">The Lego Friends set is aimed at young girls.</span>
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<p>Even better, the sets consisted of proper Lego bricks instead of some patronizing version for girls. The company invested heavily in research to ensure that kids enjoyed themselves and parents who appreciated the positive values of imaginative play were pleased. What could go wrong?</p>
<p>The backlash was immediate. </p>
<p>Liberal Lego-loving parents were horrified by the lavender-purple boxes, accused the company of creating a gender division in the potentially neutral world of Lego and demanded to know why their daughters could not just play with regular fire engines, or boxes of assorted bricks. </p>
<p>Lego responded by pointing out that that option was still available, noted that these new sets were enjoyed by both boys and girls and that it wasn’t their fault that girls could not get enough of the cute friends, pet animals and pink accessories. </p>
<p>Designing toys can be a minefield where good intentions — let’s get girls building too! — crash into unintended consequences. Like: Why is this part pink? <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2016/05/legos/484115/">Boycott Lego!</a></p>
<p>Meanwhile, the search for the next super-cool toy goes on, and perhaps for good reason. In an ever-more digital age, many parents like the idea that their kids will be engaged by interesting, imaginative, creative toys — rather than glued to a tablet or gaming console. </p>
<p>As for the growing number of parents who point to the perils of <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/global/2015/sep/01/depriving-your-kids-of-toys-great-idea">holiday season consumerism</a> and advocate for a more sustainable industry, they may very well have a point: research indicates that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.infbeh.2017.11.005">children who possess less toys tend to engage with them longer and more creatively</a>.</p>
<p>[ <em>Like what you’ve read? Want more?</em> <a href="https://theconversation.com/ca/newsletters?utm_source=TCCA&utm_medium=inline-link&utm_campaign=newsletter-text&utm_content=likethis">Sign up for The Conversation’s daily newsletter</a>. ]</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/128211/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>David Gauntlett has previously worked with the LEGO Group and the LEGO Foundation on research projects around creativity, play and learning (2005-2018). </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Lorena Escandon is the Academic Coordinator of Ryerson's Toy invention course series. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Louis-Etienne Dubois does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Why do certain toys create a frenzy? Turning raw materials into something that sparks kids’ imagination is no small endeavour.Louis-Etienne Dubois, Assistant Professor, School of Creative Industries, Toronto Metropolitan UniversityDavid Gauntlett, Canada Research Chair in Creativity, Toronto Metropolitan UniversityLorena Escandon, Assistant professor, School of Creative Industries, Toronto Metropolitan UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.