Toy Op-Ed Reflection

For several decades now, toys, especially for young children have been categorized by sex. Whether by color, or simply the toy itself there was a stigma that the opposite gender could not use this toy. One way this stereotyping got started was because stereotyping toys was a way for companies to make money. Companies target certain age groups and genders by making toys pink and blue or giving girls the kitchen, and boys the doctor toys. This is a problem that could prove to be very difficult to solve. Just changing the color of a science kit to pink is still stereotyping with the colors. It is difficult to undo, quickly, something that has been going on for such a long time. I think one interesting topic my group talked about was between tomboys. One stereotype I feel has grown in our society is boys not being able to express their emotions or be as free as girls are. This is similar to tomboys. You heard so much about being a tomboy growing up it was almost "cool" if you were a tomboy, but you never heard of tomgirls. Boys were more forced to stick with the toys made for "their gender" while girls had slightly more freedom.

Of course, there are always going to be girls who like pink and boys who like blue, and children should still have the freedom to choose this, but this does not mean something like a profession, or something else should be determined by a color or a children's toy. Toy manufacturers have been trying to expand the number of children buying their toys. Whether this is through Lego Friends or Nerf Rebel, but still adding pink and purple to this toys is not solving any of the problems. Sure it's making more money for the companies, but girls are still encouraged to play with pink and purple, while the boys play with the black and orange and blue toys. Girls are continuously told they should like pink and boys should like blue colors growing up. From something as early as a baby shower. If it's a girl the decorations will all be pink, a boy and they will all be blue. Society continuously influences the things girls and boys should like.