The NPD Group conducted a national survey called Kids Leisure Time IV in which children aged from 2 to 12 years were considered. This study states that socialization among children is changing in the face of growing technology. As kids get older, their traditional socialization (person-to-person contact) has decreased and is being replaced by electronic communication (social networks, cell phones, and video chatting). According to the official report, kids aged 2-4 years spent 17.5 hours physically interacting with their siblings, while ages 9-12 only spent 10.8 hours.
While technology has decreased socialization among siblings, it has not affected their interaction with traditional toys. In fact, toys have remained a stable foundation in kid's leisure time. “While some of these newer ways to spend their free time are quite alluring to kids, toys hold a unique place in kids’ lives,” said Frazier. “Toy manufacturers should embrace and expand upon what makes traditional toys special to both kids and adults.”
I thought that this article was really interesting and a huge issue that is definitely present today in the younger generation. It's crazy to think about how much our society has changed in such a short amount of time. When my sister and I were little, we would always play with toys, but children, today, are becoming more dependent on technology than their toys or even person-to-person contact with other children or their siblings. Although technology has a huge impact on our generation, I do definitely agree that children are still entertained by traditional toys and are not yet ignoring them purely for technology.
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