Some children grew up playing with wooden toys like blocks, or the ever famous Lincoln Logs or Tinker Toys—but this new generation of children are growing up with items like the Plan Toys Vlogger Kit.
The Vlogger Kit, complete with a wooden ring light, camera, selfie stick, and microphone, has people divided over what kids these days are being exposed to at an early age. The kit retails for $50.
“A vlogger (video blogger) is one of the top career choices that many of today’s kids aspire to be!” the toy’s description reads. “Designed to encourage children to showcase their artistic talent, this playset encourages the practice of communications skills and creative thinking. The set comes with a camera, ring light made from rubber, clip-on microphone with adaptor, and selfie stick tripod. A bag is included for easy transportation.”
Plan Toys also offers options like a DJ’s Mixer Board, a dentist set, and a bread loaf-making set.
A photo of the toy in a physical store was shared on Twitter, and it provoked very different reactions from users on the platform.
Micheala Okland, host of the She Rates Dogs podcast, wrote in a tweet that the set reminded her of toys she had as a child.
“This is cute though,” Okland wrote. “I had so much fun participating in a little fake News Station when I was in elementary school & idk how this is bad. I think Mommy Vlogging is bad! Adults vlogging their children is bad! But kids having toys is Good.”
Okland was responding to a viral tweet that read: “This is depressing on so many levels.”
Another user fired back at the same tweet, saying the vlogger toy is “Not as depressing as this Fisher Price McDonald’s drive-thru, complete with visor and headset.”
One user wrote that the vlogger toy “disgusts and saddens” them because it is “feeding into social media.”
“Agree with you on the creativity but this particular toy is obviously feeding into social media which we know is toxic, especially to little development brains,” they wrote. “This sort of toy disgusts and saddens me.”
Others pointed out that toys that seemingly ingrain a desire to be a mother in young girls—like baby dolls—or a toy gun, commonly given to little boys, aren’t any better.
“I really hate this position people take on vlogging/YouTube etc,” one user wrote. “Elitist ‘get a real job’ bollocks. You know what is actually a depressing kids toy? This shit being pushed at young girls. B/c god forbid they aspire to be women who don’t know their ‘place’ in the home.”
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H/T TYLA
