Have you ever heard a grandparent, or maybe even parent, say, “I remember playing with a stick and dirt”? This phrase is often uttered after complaining of either boredom or the lack of a new game. The toy industry has drastically changed over the years due to globalization, as highly commercialized toys are found throughout the world and the types of toys are changing. Children no longer have to draw pictures of dragons in the dirt and imagine long battles, they can buy video games and toy dragons.
‘Global toys’ are toys that are sold throughout the world, and they are commercialized. Toys are no longer being sold by small companies, as they were before globalization, but large corporations that are spread across the world. The attempt to become a power in the toy market is pushing companies to market their toys in different countries. Globalization allows this to happen, as transportation and technology has developed. They can build the toys from anywhere, not just the toy store around the corner. They can also make the toys faster and with less cost. Two examples of the globalization of toys are Barbie and Bob the Builder.
Barbie was started in 1959, when the first doll came out in America. The popularity of Barbie rose quickly, but Barbie mostly stayed the same.Same features, skin color, and other characteristics. The globalization of Barbie changed that. Now that Barbie is in more than 140 countries around the world (Globalization of Toys), the doll has changed in order to appeal to other cultures. An Islamic doll was created for their market, and African American Barbie’s were created as well. However, when Islamic and African American children choose between a Barbie doll from their respective cultural doll and a white Barbie, they usually choose the white Barbie. Is this a sign of Americanization? Mexican dolls are advertised differently, as the dolls have many friends and family members, as opposed to the American career outfits and independent values. Globalization has increased the sale of Barbie’s, especially due to the new abilities of marketing, development, technology,and transportation.
Bob the Builder is another American toy that has been globalized, spreading to more than fifteen countries (Globalization of Toys). Bob the Builder is a television show, and the globalization of the media has helped the toy sales. Though its appearance has been slightly altered in some countries, it varies much less than Barbie has. Japan gave the character another finger because the Yakuza members, members of the most feared mafia, have four fingers. Do you think that these characters should be changed according to the image of perfection and ideals of another country?
The common generic toys that many people grew up with are being pushed aside for commodity toys. Large corporations are taking control over the toy industry, and craft workers no longer locally sell toys. The classic toys of dollhouses, blocks, and trains are replaced with novelty toys due to industrialization. The toy market is influenced by television and movies that are flourishing because of globalization. Children no longer need to buy generic toys, because the large toy market and ability to buy from many countries allows them to buy a specific toy that is geared toward their interests.
Should toys be changed according to culture?
Do you think the new toys that are specific to a show are good, or should we go back to the classic dollhouses, blocks, and trains?
Used two articles as sources. The Children’s Culture Industry and Globalization and Globalization of Toys
Globalization & the Writer 
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The children of this generation will never have toys that “old-school” because the modern day is more focused on technology. It seems that the real toys that children receive are more technological such as Smartphones, Tablets, video game consoles, and computers. With the greater connection that children have to their advantage today, they seem to become more socially isolated because of these technology. It is very noticeable to see the decrease of social interaction of children outside of schools. There are less kids riding a bicycle and more kids playing on a computer. This is more the case in the Westernized nations. In more developing nations or other cultures, many children do not have the luxury of technology, so they rely on each other to usually play games with each other. They do have the social aspect that most children in westernized nations seem to have lost. Also children seem to be a little bit spoiled because having a smartphone at the age of 7 is not a luxury that many children had while growing up in the 1990s. There also was a difference in video games as well. In the 1990s people went to their friends houses to play videogames together, and that is not the case today because the fun is taken out of playing video games since everything is more online. I think that going back to the “old-school” and classic toys are a good thing, but that will not happen because technology is advancing constantly and everybody is used to it as the norm today.
My parents grew up in Vietnam, where they weren’t offered the toys that were available in America in the 1970’s. My mom would tell me how I am so well off and have so many “toys” that I can play with. She would complain about all the toys that I wanted and all the toys that I had. It is true that over the years, the technologies around the world has changed and improved for the better. However, I’m not sure if the new technologies are good for todays children. They are have way more access to certain things that they should not be seeing. From experience, I have a little cousin who is 7 years old and plays way too much video games and watches way too much Youtube Videos on his IPHONE!! He’s 7, he shouldn’t even have an iPhone. Also, the fact that he is 7 years old, he knows every single swear word there is in American and also in Vietnamese. I feel like this new technology generation who are born after 2000, can be more introverts because they didn’t have the experience going out in the neighborhood and playing with the other children. I do believe that things should maybe revert back to some old ways so that children can be more sociable. Again going back to my 7 year old cousin, when we see him he keeps to himself and takes his computer with him everywhere.
Last year in High School I had an internship at a private school in Lowell. I noticed how at playtime we would have toys and stations that the children could play at and many times the children lacked creativity while playing with these toys. Instead of creating stories with the dolls and playing together many of the children just threw the toys around. I think this was due to the fact that the teacher had “older” toys such as Legos and baby dolls. I think many of the toys that are on the market now a days can be beneficial to children but on the other hand they may be squelching the children’s creativity and imagination.
We can all agree that the toys we had growing up are very different than the toys available now to the new generation of kids. I remember having baskets full of toys and dolls. Even though I had a lot of Barbie dolls I had a greater interest in Bratz Dolls. I liked them more than Barbie Dolls because they were all different and they had multicultural dolls. The Bratz dolls had their own styles and ethnicity and this caught my eye because all of them were on sale at the same time and you had a variety that you could choose from. I personally always picked the “Hispanic” doll because I felt that I could relate to her easily. Even though I had multicultural dolls I played with them all equally. I think it benefitted me to have dolls that all looked different and each one had their own style.
As an assistant in my mom’s home daycare, I have witnessed how children not only play together, but also what they play with. Others who responded to this blog recognized that children don’t generally focus on the race of dolls they play with, unless the doll looks like someone they know, and they pick up on this. For example, at the daycare we have the same baby doll in three different ethnicities–Caucasian, Asian, and African-American. One of the daycare kids is a Chinese girl, Sophia, and another is an African-American boy, Adam. When the kids play with the dolls, they will play with all of them equally, but recognize the difference in skin color. At one point, Jack, age two, picked up the African-American baby, gave him a big hug, put him in the play-crib, and said “Goodnight Adam”. Having dolls of different ethnicities is beneficial for children so that they can recognize the different races and realize that not everyone is the same.
Just as McDonalds around the world include food choices significant to the culture they are in, toys should also fit the culture of the consumers. Now that the world is coming together and people of different ethnicities are all living together, children should have the choice of their own to play with whatever doll they want to, whether that be their own cultural doll, or one from China, America, Spain, etc. No matter what, because television is so popular in today’s society, globalization of television shows is inevitable. Therefore, children around the world are going to want to bring their favorite shows to life. While I would rather see children building houses with Lincoln logs, creating “gourmet meals” with play food and easy-bake ovens, building sand castles, or simply running around outside, there is no way to stop the spread of television and the toys that are produced because of this. Children will, however, always use their imagination, no matter what is put in front of them because that is what kids do. Technology is being transformed to informative learning video games for younger children, so this is a beneficial way to transform video games to a teaching tool. Dolls (no matter the race or origin) allow children to talk and create scenarios, and finally, television shows create ambition and usually contain a hidden moral message.
The diversity of all these new dolls and toys that are different races and ethnicities, have different hobbies, wear different clothing, and so on, is a great thing to happen to the toy industry. It teaches children that everyone is not the same and that there are many different types of people in the world. The fact that sometimes, for example, the white and blonde Barbie doll gets picked over the other variations of Barbie is not a sign of Americanization. Just like tavaresdealj said, many young girls don’t see the difference of race in a doll, they just know that the white one is the original and most popular Barbie doll. Everyone knows that at some point in their childhood they wanted to have something that everyone else had whether it be a doll, an item of clothing, or the newest video game. This feeling of wanting to have what someone else has is not a sign of Americanization; it is just what little kids, and sometimes adults, do.
I think lonatim makes a good point. Having more than just the blonde, caucasian Barbie is more realistic. This allows kids at a younger age to be more aware of different ethnicities and cultures, than in the past. It is a much needed change because we still have a ways to go, even in America, to understanding and accepting racial equality and different cultures.
In regards to my preference on newer toys versus the classic toys, like trains and blocks, I think the more engaging they are for children, the better. I believe the toys that we had years ago, forced us to have more of an imagination, or bored us more easily so we went outside more often–which is what I think more kids should be doing now-a-days. However, we live in a world that is dominated by technology. We must embrace it in order to keep up with the rest of the world. So, if kids aren’t going to be playing outside or with blocks, and instead playing with newer toys or technology, I hope they are engaging and helping them to learn something useful.
I think it would be nice if toys could go back to being simpler, but in this day and age, there’s no real way that it can happen. I, like Molly Malinowski, played with Barbie dolls as a little girl. Being from an African American family, my mom made sure that I had a few black Barbie dolls, and that my brothers had a few black GI Joe figures. (As an aside, my mom likes telling me a story about how one day, when I was about six or seven, I asked: If my Barbie (white) and Ken (black) can get along with each other, why can’t we all?)
While the Mattel industry continues to make Barbies ridiculously un-proportionate to the average woman, I at least applaud it for keeping cultural/ethnic differences in mind when creating the dolls. Despire the fact that I think that a lot of things should be made to fit one’s own culture/values, like children’s toys/movies, I would like to point out that I grew up idolizing Disney princesses that were not of my own culture, race, or background and it didn’t bother me a bit. I loved Belle’s passion for knowledge, Mulan’s courage to protect her family, and Cinderella’s drive to become more than anyone ever thought she could be. In reality, I think the race and culture of dolls/action figures doesn’t matter to the children playing with them as much as it does to the parents buying them.
Although the blogger asks many valid questions, I think the economic contribution of toys needs more attention. At an early age a child is introduced to basic toys with which he learns to entertain himself with. Soon after, the child is introduced to television shows which have relevant advertisements, i.e. junk food and (you guessed it) toys. These advertisements make the child, whether consciously or subconsciously, want that toy. Over the years, toy companies have become aware of this and even created TV shows specifically to market a toy or game. A great example of this is the show Pokemon. The creators of Pokemon started with a video-game, created a show to popularize the game, and now have merchandise of all sorts. The merchandise includes a card game, toys, stuffed animals, music, movies, and much more ( http://www.pokemon.com/ ). What started as a small budget video-game has turned into a toy empire. On one hand, Pokemon has influenced children so that they want and need the merchandise; on the other hand, the company has employed thousands of people, while creating varied forms of entertainment for people to enjoy. Is this such a bad thing, or is it just one more way that globalization works to promote the spread of culture and the growth of economies?
I agree with Joe Fisher. We have lost sight of where the “child’s toy” originated. If I asked my dad what he did for fun as a kid, I would hear how he went outside all day. He would ride his bike, play backyard football, and play with his brothers and sisters. However, if I asked my younger cousins what they do for fun, I might get answers such as play videogames or go on the computer. I would like to see kids play outside more, or use the “old school” toys. It seems to me that it would spark creativity in a child’s play and make them think more. Also, toys such as blocks and trains would eliminate the issue of changing toys to fit a culture. There would be no debate because blocks are blocks no matter where you go. They are a generic toy.
While I do like the traditional toys, I cannot deny that some of the toys from shows and movies are not that bad. Take for example Leap Frog. It incorporates all different types if characters and shows for kids all around the world. In addition, it is teaching them reading and writing while they are playing. This is not a negative thing at all. Also, just like Barbie and Bob the Builder, it may have to be changed to fit into a certain society. This is not negative either. Subtle changes to fit into society is a way to keep peace among nations. That way one nation does not feel like the other is taking over. In addition, diversity is a good thing in the world. Having different cultures is what makes the world an interesting place. Modern toys can connect nations in their own unique ways. So even though I tend to prefer traditional toys, I do see the benefits of the spread of modern toys.
Of course the ways toys are used has evolved. My mother talked about how she played with dolls and tea sets while I talked about I played with action figures and my brother talks about how he plays with ipads. Technology is changing an d so are toys and how we use them. Children better understand the world around them and that there are other people out there who don’t live the same way they do. Toys are meant to have fun and different cultures utilize their enjoyment in these toys differently. Whether children are playing with Barbie’s or ipads they are able to be creative and it allows them that alone time they may need.
As someone who came from the “go play outside in the yard”, as opposed to the “go play with your toys”, I can relate to the fact that our parents (sometimes even myself), did not have the same toys as our generation. Additionally, toys have become over-industrialized, and with that comes the exposing of the newest toys. As stated, the barbie doll went from same features, white skin, etc. to a doll of all different ethnicities and different features. The market’s globalization has a major impact on toy construction and its market. America has become of mother-country of video games, virtual and 3D toys, and so much more, that we often forget where the “child’s toy” first started, which I believe is worth thinking about.
As a little girl, I remember constantly wanting the newest Barbie doll. I also loved the wide range of activities Barbie was involved in like owning a horse or working at a grocery store. My parents sometimes gave into my pleads for the newest doll, but for the most part, they kept me at bay with the number I accumulated. I have heard the expression this blog opens with many times as a child, although I believe that I did not actually have too many toys as a child. My sister and I used to be really creative when deciding what to do with our free time, and we would pretend we were spies with magnifying glasses and vests my mom made to make us feel like we were really part of the FBI or build a fort and pretend we were hiding out. I would try to create games where material toys were not necessary.
While in high school, I was taking a British Literature class where we read Pygmalion. This story, earlier a Greek myth, tells about a lower class woman who is remade to be a member of the upperclass society. I had to write a paper in which I discussed the importance of physical appearance in terms of what the media portrays as imperative in a relationship. As part of my research for this paper, I came across an article that lays out what Barbie would be like if she were a real woman. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/galia-slayen/the-scary-reality-of-a-re_b_845239.html. This website only lays out a few of the shocking statistics like, “If Barbie was a real woman, she’d have to walk on all fours due to her proportions.” It might be time to reconsider the Barbie figure because this exposes girls at a young age to unhealthy ideas because they want to be just like Barbie.
When I read this blog entry, Barbie stuck out to me. As a child, I had plenty of Barbie dolls but never felt the pressure to look like Barbie. Sure, everyone wanted to be as “cool” as Barbie and have the perfect boyfriend and own a dream house, but it never got to the point where I was trying to become Barbie. Maybe that was my personal experience because under the Social Learning theory (something I learned about in my Child and Adolescent Development class this year) it states that as a child grows and learns, the stimuli present to them influence their thoughts and behaviors greatly. This theory might not strictly relate to girls having eating disorders or becoming greedy because they played with Barbies as a child, but it could definitely have an impact on their social abilities because they are being exposed to it at a young age, when their minds are extremely malleable.
I remember growing up with my mom complaining that she never had the toys that we did so we shouldn’t have been bored. I was however one of those kids that loved to spend time outside, I didn’t play with Barbie’s or other toys, those were left in their box. The one toy that I really remember playing was the game boy I shared with my little siblings, the one game, paper boy. Looking back now the game had horrible graphics and was probably one of the worst put together games ever, but it was so entertaining then. Now there are touch screen games, and video games like the Kinect. Every toy ends up everywhere whether it is designed for a different culture, it just may take it longer to reach others. A lot of the toys now are to a show, this is a good thing when it comes to kids. When they find a TV show they like, for example Dora, there are games that teach them how to read, or speak Spanish. These games help our youth learn more than what we had learned at such a young age. Whether children are playing with Barbie’s or the new high tech toys they are able to be creative and it allows them that alone time they may need.
As a young girl, I remember my mother asking me why I never played with the blonde Barbie doll. I responded to her, telling her that was not blonde and couldn’t really see any connection between myself and the doll. Once I told her this, she told me that there were many different people in the world and, even though I didn’t look like them, it didn’t mean that I should treat them differently. I agree with both saggesej and lonatim; I believe it is a great thing that Barbie produces dolls of different races and ethnicities because it teaches children to be more open minded to other cultures at such a young age. It was asked in the blog if the fact that children usually choose the white Barbie if given the choice between a Barbie doll from their respective cultural doll and a white Barbie is a sign of Americanization. I don’t believe it is; I think it is only because the white Barbie doll is the face of the company and thus, most girls would prefer the most “popular” toy. I also do not think that there is any way that the world can go back to using wooden, plain toys, because, like depratom said, toys are constantly changing because the world is constantly changing.
With the advancements in technology and the desire for more entertaining things, there is no turning back to the old ways. After doing some research on this topic and looking at how toys have changed from when I was younger, I discovered a lot. Toys of the past were commonly created to play a role of education and the future. Things such as doll houses, building blocks, and train sets have been pushed off the shelves of toy stores for more “entertaining” things. The cause of this matter is because toy production over the course of the twentieth century has become increasingly industrialized and internationalized. Companies such as Mattel, Hasbro, and Disney have all grown to mass producing companies. These companies produce toys that stimulate rather than satisfy longer. I know when I was growing up as a child I had a huge imagination and when I played with baby dolls or other toys, I could play for endless hours. Children of the present tend to focus more on the uprising toy rather than what they have already.
Barbie is an excellent example of how toys have been effected by globalization. Barbie has drastically changed over the years going from the typical blonde hair blued eyed girl, to multicultural. Adapting Barbie to the world around us can benefit in the teachings of children. Children can see how diverse Barbie is and realized it is acceptable to treat others who might not look like you with respect. Growing up I played with many different ethnic toys and to me they made no difference on what they looked like. The advancement of Barbie can provide us with evidence that toys can change culturally for the good. It is a made easy way for children to become more accepting of the future in front of them.
I think that there is really no way that we can degrade back to using just dollhouses, blocks, trains etc. for toys. Advancements in technology, new television shows and movies, and the desire people have for more entertaining toys makes it harder for people to want to play with blocks anymore. Barbie is a perfect example of how toys have globalized because it shows just how toys have changed overtime to appeal to many different cultures, not just the stereotypical American. I think it’s a great improvement that Barbies have changed their physical appearance because it exposes kids at a younger age to accept those who look different from us. Children better understand the world around them and that there are other people out there who don’t live the same way they do.
Growing up, I had many Barbies in my house, but they all looked the same. When my younger sister was growing up, the Barbies she had were much different than mine. I’m only four years older and I noticed a changed right away. She had Barbies that would speak Spanish, a Barbie that was African-American, and many brunette dolls. Having these different ethnic dolls in our house made us realize that there were people who wanted to play with something else besides a blonde, white Barbie. That’s why I think it’s a great thing that toys should change culturally, but they should have all culturally different toys in all countries.
Here is a limerick expressing my response to this blog.
As a young girl or boy,
We all played with a similar toy,
Across the world they’re not the same,
And although we thought this was lame,
The different cultures we should just enjoy.
To expand on the point I made in my limerick, I believe that we should accept the differences in cultures around the world. Carignanm brought up Barbie, which I think is a great example. Barbie is widely recognized throughout the world and different cultures. I honestly think that it is great that the company came out with Barbies who have different ethnicities because it is more realistic and applicable to the world. Not everyone around the globe is white and blonde; having the different cultures represented in these toys allows children to be exposed to differences early on and therefore become more accepting in the future.
I do believe that companies should change their product to appeal to thee natives of other countries. It is Americanization without complete destruction of another culture. Not only toys, but restaurant chains change their menus. McDonald’s changes what’s on its menu in other parts of the world. McDonalds in Egypt serve a McFelafel, Japan McDonalds serve seaweed burgers, Indian McDonalds don’t serve beef at all, and some French McDonalds serve rabbit (Read more at http://www.globalpolicy.org/component/content/article/162/27607.html).
While researching the globalization of Barbie, I found and article titled “It’s Barbie’s World”(http://www.patheos.com/blogs/mmw/2009/08/its-barbies-world/). The article is about how Melbourne, Australia was the host of the “Forever Barbie” exhibition. The author is confused as to how Barbie could have a whole exhibition.
The author continues to talk reinforce Megan’s research about Barbie of other ethnic backgrounds to appeal to their native countries calling them “culturally sensitive alternatives” of the Barbie lifestyle.
The author argues that even though the dolls may come in different “colors” they all have the same cookie cutter Barbie look. Although the globalization of this doll has made new products for other countries, they all look the same feature wise.
(http://www.patheos.com/blogs/mmw/2009/08/its-barbies-world/)