holy.narcissism.batman!

nobody@vox.com(.tiff) — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 22:15:36 -0800

I have no real friends to give me bunny ears!

Online offer only! Thanks to Urban Outfitters the unfortunate souls who get weary photo-taking limbs and emo-rific helicopter angled photos can now use the the handy 'Self-portrait arm' to take photos of themselves for their respective social networking profile, and only for the low price of $30.00. This ground-breaking invention resembles a golf club with a pose-able joints, but is a web-exlusive to UO. Great for folks with 4,572 MySpace friends and no real friends! Get it while it's hot!

*palm to forehead*

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toys.kids.want.for.their.'leisure.time.'

nobody@vox.com(.tiff) — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 11:11:32 -0800

This article makes me sick. Coining terms such as KGOY (Kids Growing Older Younger) and re-classifying "making toys for kids" to "vying for kids’ leisure time", the toy industry has apparently oriented toy production to re-creating electronic devices such as laptops and cellphones and other gadgets. According to them younger kids are demanding more high-tech play things because they want to "role-play what they see in society”. Doesn't something seem extremely wrong here?

For Toddlers, Toy of Choice Is Tech Device

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/29/tec...

Cellphones, laptops, digital cameras and MP3 music players are among the hottest gift items this year. For preschoolers.

I call bull shit. Clearly the issue that's surfaced here is oriented towards the fact that parents are spending less time with their kids playing and more time on their blackberry's, mp3 players, iPhones, laptops. If you're a parent and you spend a considerable amount of attention to your appliances, of course your kids are going to want to be engaged with it to.

I consider that my childhood was relatively more high-tech than the average pre-schooler, but my parents totally managed tech-play with moderation. It was a special treat for my dad and I to stay up til midnight playing Hardball on his classic mac, or exploring adventure games like Cosmic Osmo together. But this current trend is perverse. Look parents, if you have kids, play with them. As much as I think video games and computers really did enrich my life as a child, my most memorable play was the stuff I used my imagination for. Remember pillow forts? Remember playing dress up? Geez.

I'm definitely punting the next pre-schooler I see with their own iPhone. *fumes*

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