Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2018/12/01/toy-makers-tap-into-what-kids.html
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Well, the Pacific Ocean was nice while it lasted.
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There must be a way to make this seem like a grave warning of dire times ahead. Oh, sorry, thought this was a Doctorow post.
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As a parent, and uncle, I have purchased many a thing for kids.
You want to drive them crazy? Give them the cardboard box that the things came in.
The contents are usually an afterthought for young ones. Extra joy if you can provide large boxes, from major appliances.
Almost as much fun as pillow forts when you involve cats.
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This. One of the best “toys” I remember playing with was a box that my parents’ new dresser came in. Seriously, that was the best thing ever.
I’m also reminded of a birthday present my friend received for his 16th birthday or so. IIRC, it was a big box containing packing peanuts. In the box, there was an empty computer tower with the screw heads filed down (I think a sledgehammer was employed). Inside that was another box and inside that there was a package completely duct-taped into a ball. Inside that, was the actual present which was a little porcelain pig. Either way, I think the unboxing struggle was more fun for the guests to watch than the gift recipient to plow through.
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As a kid I dreamt of getting hold of something like a refrigerator box. Though unassembled packing boxes were almost as good, as you could connect them together to make tunnels big enough to crawl through, a really big box had construction possibilities I desired. Sadly my parents did not buy buy any large appliances during the relevant period (and I was too dumb a kid to think to ask for a box as a present, which would have been so much better than the things I did ask for).
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Is this any different than an Apple product, less the useful adapters that are no longer included. There are even stickers!
I just want the padded tortilla from this product so I can make a pocket sized tool burrito for my what I keep in my pockets.
Plus- burrito.
Jand has Digital Burrito, a cable/pen/tool burrito, but it’s too big for my pockets.
Mmmm EDC burrito.
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So it’s a burrito you cant eat (without incurring grave harm)? Disappointing.
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Given the dire predictions about debt and housing costs for Millennials, those dreams might become really popular again. Sadly, it reminds me of this sketch from In Living Color.
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As I think about this- it’s a kind of gambling, and likely creates all sorts of positive associations with ventured risk with in the brain.
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Eh, same story, different tone. Try this:
“Intrusive surveillance data gathered from Internet-of-Shit devices helps slave-labor toys makers create addictive new market.”
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I had 2. the first one made the best fort. the second one, me and my brother and our dog got in at the top of the big hill in our neighborhood and decided to roll down with all of us in it. bad idea. im glad the box finally split, it held together way too painfully long. ah the joys of growing up freerange before they safetied the fun out of everything.
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I dunno if you can peg this to unboxing videos mystery toys with random allotments and a collect them all angle have been a thing just about forever. And its basically the idea behind trading cards. Was massive trend in both table top gaming and collectibles more generally in the 00’s. I even remember seeing nice, non-costume, jewelry sold this way. People generally like this stuff. And kids have always been into it.
When I was 16 a friend gave me a large elaborately wrapped present. Inside was a slightly smaller elaborately wrapped present. After 5 layers of that there was a perfect rectangle apparently made of duck tape. He later told me it was 10 rolls. When I hit the tape he handed me a pocket knife and said “start cutting”. Inside the duck tape box was rocks, gravel, and sand. At the center of the rocks there was a small packet made of additional duct tape. There was 5 dollars inside.
He let me keep the knife though. Still have it.
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These Georgetown elites think their children can predict the future, but tell me, what university did Rasputin attend HMM?
I had an unboxing toy as a kid. It was called a baby chicken and it wasn’t very fun because I couldn’t help it hatch, it took forever, and it was this ugly wet thing when it finally got out.
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My daughter loves LOL dolls and I can’t abide them. You literally throw away 80% of the thing, that’s made of single-use, unrecyclable plastic, and are left with a tiny, shitty, plastic doll that does nothing at all (they have a hole in them so they ‘cry’ or ‘pee’ when you fill them with water, and that’s it) and that quickly gets tossed aside.
I understand the unboxing thing, but LOL dolls should be fucking illegal.
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