Back by popular demand: The Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood's 3rd annual TOADY Award. Who will win this year's dreaded TOADY? It's up to you! Check out the nominees below and then click here to cast your vote.
Each year, the Toy Industry Association of America presents its annual TOTY (Toy Of The Year) Awards. So in recognition of the industry that has led the way in commercializing childhood, we have selected five nominees for the TOADY (Toys Oppressive And Destructive to Young Children) Award for the Worst Toy of 2011. From among the multitude of toys promoting violence and/or precocious sexuality and/or branded entertainment and/or electronic wizardry at the expense of children's play, we have selected these exceptional finalists:
Can't wait for the day your child starts tuning you out for technology? Give your infant a head start with the Vinci, the first "iPad" designed especially for babies. The $479 may seem like a lot, but that's a small price to pay for the tranquility that comes when your infant is virtually lobotomized. Make dinner in peace. Better yet, go out for dinner. The Vinci's hypnotic apps are designed to guarantee that Junior won't even know you're gone. Plus, the Vinci makes lots of bogus educational claims, so you can join the company in pretending that screen time is great for your little one.
Worried that your seven-year-old is the only kid on the block who doesn't know the words to "I'm in Love with a Stripper" or "Take Your Shirt Off"? Remedy that with the I am T-Pain Mic. For just $39.99, this amazing microphone will transform the voice of your child to sound just like rap star and auto-tune aficionado T-Pain - and introduce him to T-Pain's lyrical world of misogyny, drinking and drugs. "A lot of kids don't have cellphones, (so) in order to reach everyone, I'm taking it to where it can be a toy," the rapper explains. Thank you, T-Pain, for your dedication and service to our children.
Want to scare the pants off your six-year-old? Mattel's Monster High Ghoul Spirit Fearleading Doll 3-Pack will do the trick. And they're guaranteed to frighten the heck of you, too. Not because the dolls are ghouls and vampires, but because the company that gave the world Barbie packs so many damaging sexualized stereotypes into one creepy package. Behold the horrors of impossibly thin body types; recoil from the micro-mini-skirts, booty shorts, and fishnet stockings; shriek in frustration, because--in Mattel's world--girls are always relegated to the sidelines. Better yet, run screaming as fast as you can from these monstrous "fashionistas."
Why give your kids the classic version of America's favorite board game when you can immerse them in an ad for Coca Cola? No more fighting about who gets stuck with the iron or the hat; choose from "collectible" tokens like a Coke bottle, Coke can, or a even Coke polar bear. Sign an agreement for exclusive "pouring rights" on Boardwalk...and collect 39 grams of sugar every time you pass "Go!" Recommended for ages 8 and up, even though Coke execs swear they do not target kids under 12. Type 2 diabetes sold separately.
So there you have it, ladies and gentlemen: Your 2011 TOADY nominees. Please click here to cast your vote help us determine which toy will join past winners Dallas Cowboy Cheerleader Barbie (seriously!) and Nickelodeon's AddictingGames.com as Worst Toy of the Year.
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It's my pleasure that VINCI is on your radar screen. As mom of 2 children, one of the triggers that made me devote my resources/energy to VINCI, was my daughter's experience with commercials. When she was only 15 months, she was watching Toy Story on youtube one day and naked people were popping up in an ad! Even children's products can't escape from advertising. You see, when I got her Leapfrog at 18 months, the machine kept asking her to"ask your grown-up to buy you more shampoo (for the pets)". It's insane!
Advertising free is big with VINCI. No app is allowed to get on VINCI if it contains any kind of advertising. We are completely on the same page as you, and are committed to support your effort!
Do we advertise to children? Never! In fact, our users are parents, grandparents, caregivers and educators. We want to raise awareness about the early childhood. We propose constructive play, where children invent upon the knowledge they previous learn. We suggest parents to spend time with their children, rather than handing them a pacifier be it a phone or a TV.
VINCI was not created as a toy (so it's OK to be the worst toy). Instead, it intends to be the standard for early learning, leveraging technology and scientific research. Isn't it wonderful if you could play your way to Harvard? We truly believe so, and hope you too!
Dr. Dan D Yang
Creator of VINCI
Too often, I am left to wonder what toy creators were thinking; thankfully, you've answered that question here.
1) When your daughter was 15 months old, did it not occur to you that she may not need much screen time, much less on YouTube, which is not a safe internet environment for kids?
2) When you purchased a Leapfrog at 18 months and worried about her exposure to marketing, perhaps you should have been more concerned about the fact that she was being hardwired to prefer technology to natural exploration and experiential learning. I am certain that you give your daughter plenty of exposure to less technological pursuits; but it occurs to me that there's no reason to encourage the use of a Leapfrog at all, when so much of the world is still interesting to a toddler.
3) In raising awareness about early childhood, perhaps you could raise awareness about unplugging our children and interacting not through a shared on-screen experience, but through a shared conversation; a shared imaginative experience; or a shared adventure out into the real world?
4) I don't worry about whether or not my children are going to "play their way into Harvard." I worry about their ability to experience the joy of childhood in a pressure-packed world. So thank you, because you've confirmed for me that there is absolutely no way my kids would ever be allowed near one of those contraptions you call a toy.
I can see how it is troubling to see kids sitting behind screens rather than interacting with others face to face. This isn't a problem with small children, but also with teenagers and adults. I feel the biggest problem with technology right now is that it isn't able to fully express the wide range of emotions that in person communication can, but that is only an obstacle that technology will overcome. Look how far we have come in less than a decade. We had email at first. Then we moved onto instant messaging. Then came the rise of social networking with MySpace and Facebook. Now we can have high definition video chat on our phones anywhere we like. There is still a long way to go, but don't doubt the power of technology.
Thank you for your comment, and I love to debate on this topic. Like every parent, I want the best for my children. That of course includes the childhood happiness. Every day at 3:30 pm, I pick up my daughter from her nursery school. We play in the playground or go to swimming pool till 5 pm before coming back for diner. While I cook, she either "helps" me, or does her own work which can be anything including running around or putting her animals "to bed". After diner, we have about 30 to 60 minutes playing VINCI, while we talk about the concept and ideas behind the games or story books. This happens even when she is outside my shower. Instead of she watching youtube or playing by herself, VINCI gives me great opportunity to discuss a variety of topics with her, because the content is entirely designed for her age and with learning objectives.
Does this sound like she has a miserable childhood sucked in a virtual world? A tool is a tool. The question is how we utilize it to our benefit.
As for why I had her watching youtube or playing Leapfrog, honestly, it's because I needed to cook and needed to shower and she wasn't happy with anybody else but having me in her sight.
Best regrads
Dan