Nefir

So, after the last real toy store in my neighborhood closed down, to be replaced by an EB, I am left wondering - what kind of toys do kids want this year? Is demand for "real" toys becoming fainter and fainter with every passing year, and with every new next-gen console being advertised? Are kids turning into mindless consumer whores, with our help?

I am under the rising impression that more and more kids choose pre-packaged entertainment like video games, over more active and imaginative toys like constructor sets and action figures/dolls, and I can't help but feel more than a bit disturbed.

- Are adults' choices of gifts hampering kids' ability to imagine and dream on their own, and paving the way towards consumer-whoredom?
- Should they be more responsible in forming kids' consumption patterns, or is it none of their business?
- How can parents and other adults counteract external pressure from advertisers and peer groups? Would doing so be a good thing?

And now its audience participation time! Vote for the kind of gift you are getting your kids (or someone else's kids), or if you can't get anything this year, vote for what you would if you could... and tell me what you think about the premise of this post...

As for me, I have no kids, and I am not planning on giving gifts to anyone else's, but if I did, I'd give Legos.

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