Toy Op-ed Reflection

I think that gender-neutral toys are very important when it comes to to breaking our societies gender roles. These roles have been ingrained within our culture for decades, so it will most likely take a lot to break them. However, I do feel like gender neutral toys are a good start, because it will allow boys and girls to envision themselves in any situation they want. Along with this, gender-neutral toys and marketing will allow for kids to expand their horizons, instead of locking themselves into a gendered section specifically for them. There are many interests and hobbies which are considered to be specifically for boys or girls, that many people of the opposite gender would likely be interested in. However, kids might not even look into them because they might seem them as not for their gender. I also feel like gendered things extend further than just toys, even when it doesn't need to be gendered. There are many different examples in just a simple grocery store, where there are products made specifically for men or women even when they don't need to be. Along with that, I remember when I was little I would refuse to watch TV shows regardless of quality, because I thought that they would be "girly". Ironically, the one time I accidentally ended up watching a show I thought was "girly" I ended up enjoying it, and it is now one of my favorite TV shows. It makes me wonder what other things that I might have missed out from when I was younger because I thought it was "girly" or something like that. I think that it would be beneficial for everyone if everything wasn't in as strict gender roles as they are. People might find things that they enjoy, that they might not have discovered previously because they thought of it as not for their gender.

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