Toy Op-ed Reflection

I decided to interpret the gendered toys phenomenon discussion through the lens of the interactionist social theory. I believe that the idea of how small actions, objects, or other things, such as gendered toys, and their meaning, can be emblematic and symbolic of the culture around gender roles, and those kinds of beliefs that shapes the toy industry. Due to the influence of society on the toy market, the influence being gender roles among the two sexes, toys for children are made as symbols of these constructs. Due to the outside influence of society, as well as toy marketing, children are either bought these toys by parents, or get the constrained choice to ask for the toy themselves. When the children get these toys symbolic of their assigned gender role, they are further trained to fall into society's view of what is appropriate for their gender. The child grows to conform to the standard, and further more what they have been trained to know now becomes a part of how society's view is shaped, to continue this cycle of these unchallenged ideas of what genders should be and do. One thing I find interesting is how gendered toys, though they've been around for a while, are especially big currently. I find this interesting due to how we are much farther along in the way of gender equality than we were in say, the 70's, however, we have more of a gender difference in the types of toys marketed towards boys and girls. I believe that then it is not simply gender, but also the culture around finance and capitalism that is also causing this toy gender divide. It's by the influence of profit equated into the sale of the toys that influence this as well. It is easier and seen as more profitable for toy companies to divide the consumers into groups to sell the same thing twice in different packaging with a slightly different look. Toys are some of the first things we use when we're young to utilize our imaginations and learn. Toys have been shown to affect our development, and we explore ourselves and our personal world and identity.  When that personal world is influenced by outside elements, such as peers opinions shaped by their parents opinions, which is shaped by the society's opinions, our inner exploration is guided specifically to a certain area, and it isn't free to explore the vast more possibilities of interest. For example, many toys that are about STEM subjects are heavily targeted towards boys, and despite the fact that girls are also interested in math and science, sense math and science oriented things really are seen as for them, it discourages young girls from following those interests. Therefore the gendered roles we have for the younger generations are pushed on them with toys as practice for what their futures might be.