Another Toy Fair has come and gone. In taking the time to process what I’ve seen I couldn’t help feeling we’ve collectively lost our way. Let me preface by stating I love technology. I’ve been fascinated by innovation for as long as I can remember. I’m old enough to have experienced life without the internet, cellphones or personal computers. Yet we had books, newspapers, theater, television (broadcast only), and movies to spark our imaginations. In the late 20th century, young Americans often discussed the topic of living in the 21st century. We were obsessed with the future—a transformative leap into a remarkable world with infinite possibilities. Yet here we are in 2016, torn at the seams between the digital and analog fabric of our lives. The NY Toy Fair suddenly becomes a checkpoint for society—a snapshot of what lies ahead.
Robotic friends. Artificial Intelligence. These terms originated in science fiction. Yet over the last 10 years, development of artificial playmates for children has become pervasive. One of the most prominent goals has been to replace real pets with robotic ones. These intricately programmed, no-fuss companions will captivate our children and return to a resting state at the end of the day. A current example is CHIP (Canine Home Intelligent Pet) from Wowwee Toys. Although not quite at the level of science fiction becoming reality, it’s evident our robot-centric future grows near.
Even the language of computers has crept into our daily lives. Many upcoming children’s toys introduce concepts of programming. Although rudimentary in scope, kids under 5 years of age will experience the use of sequential commands when interacting with their toys. Companies such as ThinkFun work diligently to introduce abstract concepts without the use of electronics. For the most part, the toy industry has gravitated towards manufacturing toys that are a hybrid of hands-on and computer app assisted play—the convergence of which offers kids the “best of both worlds.”
Thankfully many toy makers, both multinational corporations and small independent companies, include low to no-tech toys into their product mix. In my conversations with parents, the consensus has been a noticeable backlash towards tech in their children’s lives. An urgent need to reconnect kids with real life experiences has resulted in reduced electronics usage. Still, I suspect the battle to limit technology will fail. Rather than fight the future I hope tech fits seamlessly into our lives as a partner rather than a potential adversary. For now, we’ll continue to look ahead one tentative step at a time.
What do you think?
Images from the 2016 NY Toy Fair:
