Toys play an important role in children’s life from having fun to being creative. However, toys have a very strong impact on them, especially when the toy makers promote their products by using gender stereotypes.
According to The New York Times, toys are being marketed based on gender between “boys” and “girls.” Walking into toy stores, there are rows of pink toys that relate to beauty and domesticity on one side for girls, whereas on the other side which is full of blue and black toys associated with building and violent stuff for boys. The New York Times reports that parents are buying gender-typed toys not because of their preference, but because their children had requested to. This indicates that kids are learning and adapting to how society designs. They have a mindset that certain colors represent one specific gender. Therefore, they believe that they should play with the colored toys that are right for their gender. Moreover, if this keeps happening, the future will be full of gender stereotypes, where girls and boys are totally separated from each other.
The research in Teaching Kids News shows that “playing with building toys, blocks and puzzles helps children develop “spatial” skills.” That is why many parents buy the construction sets for their children, especially for their daughters since they have less experience with it. The number of construction sets that are now bought for girls is only 20 percent compared to the boys. An article in Teaching Kids News says that parents do not only buy construction sets for their daughters but also toy weapons. There is a study that showed that games that the kids play that relate to weapons, in fact can help them. It encourages them to be more powerful and less anxious when they are faced with problems. For this reason, it is important that toy makers are not using gender stereotypes, so that both genders can access to these toys.
As it mentions above, this may seem a positive thing from having more girls interested in building to playing with toy weapons to be more confident when there are threats. However, Teaching Kids News affirms that all of those things are still come in with pink and purple color. Many people are complaining that the companies are still using gender stereotypes. Despite this criticism, the toy makers resist and state, “if the building sets are “girly,” girls are more likely to play with them.” In addition, the design is based on the response that they got after asking the girls on what they want. This demonstrates that toy makers’ marketing strategy is affecting their identity. They now know what color of toys that they should play with.
When toy makers market their products on specific gender, it is very harmful to the children’s perspective. Therefore, people should take the action now to stop this from happening, all help from toy makers, parents, and the children.
Works Cited
“Different Toys For Girls And Boys?” Teaching Kids News. Web. 13 Dec. 2016.
Sweet, Elizabeth. “Guys and Dolls No More?” The New York Times. The New York Times, 22 Dec. 2012. Web. 13 Dec. 2016.
“Toy Weapons For Girls: Too Violent, Or Too Pretty?” Teaching Kids News. Web. 13 Dec. 2016.