Summary: A Rhetorical Response To Roland Barthes Toys
Jessica Callis
Crook
Eng102-24130
November 13, 2014
Toys vs. Technology:
A Rhetorical Response to Roland Barthes’ Toys Children’s toys, from generation to generation have no doubt changed. I’ve seen the sock monkeys, rubber-band guns, and blinking baby dolls pulled from dusty boxes in the attic which at one point in the ancient past had been the favorite toys of my parents when they were kids. Somewhere stashed away in my own attic lays my Fisher-Price Music Box Record Player, my Barbies, and my brother’s G.I. Joes. Now, in a time when popular toys from my childhood are being auctioned off on eBay with price tags in the thousands, I’m saddened by the realization: my young children rarely play with toys at all. Despite the mountains of toys …show more content…
But currently Barthes’ point is only half the argument, and could even be considered obsolete in an age when children are submersed in technology from infancy as more often young children are choosing electronic touchscreen devices over traditional dolls, action figures, board games, and things of the like. In fact, a recent poll conducted in February of this year “found more than 60% of parents claiming that their child uses a touchscreen […] and experts say their popularity is still rocketing” (Prigg …show more content…
As stated by Michael Rayal, MD on his website, Parenting 101, “traditional games [and play] can help kids learn to acknowledge their emotions […] kids learn to deal with frustration after a loss, with excitement after a win, with anger after getting a “bad turn,” with anxiety when pride is on the line […] kids also learn how to communicate politely with other players” (1). I believe these are essential interactions which directly contribute to a child’s social development which he or she cannot experience while using electronic games and touchscreen applications. Just as Barthes acknowledges “toys always mean something, and this something is always entirely socialized, constituted by the myths or techniques of modern adult life” (27), we have a responsibility as parents to heavily consider if this technological aspect of adult life is an appropriate replacement for traditional toys and play. More importantly we must ask ourselves, what will become of future generations if they never play with toys or each
Crook
Eng102-24130
November 13, 2014
Toys vs. Technology:
A Rhetorical Response to Roland Barthes’ Toys Children’s toys, from generation to generation have no doubt changed. I’ve seen the sock monkeys, rubber-band guns, and blinking baby dolls pulled from dusty boxes in the attic which at one point in the ancient past had been the favorite toys of my parents when they were kids. Somewhere stashed away in my own attic lays my Fisher-Price Music Box Record Player, my Barbies, and my brother’s G.I. Joes. Now, in a time when popular toys from my childhood are being auctioned off on eBay with price tags in the thousands, I’m saddened by the realization: my young children rarely play with toys at all. Despite the mountains of toys …show more content…
But currently Barthes’ point is only half the argument, and could even be considered obsolete in an age when children are submersed in technology from infancy as more often young children are choosing electronic touchscreen devices over traditional dolls, action figures, board games, and things of the like. In fact, a recent poll conducted in February of this year “found more than 60% of parents claiming that their child uses a touchscreen […] and experts say their popularity is still rocketing” (Prigg …show more content…
As stated by Michael Rayal, MD on his website, Parenting 101, “traditional games [and play] can help kids learn to acknowledge their emotions […] kids learn to deal with frustration after a loss, with excitement after a win, with anger after getting a “bad turn,” with anxiety when pride is on the line […] kids also learn how to communicate politely with other players” (1). I believe these are essential interactions which directly contribute to a child’s social development which he or she cannot experience while using electronic games and touchscreen applications. Just as Barthes acknowledges “toys always mean something, and this something is always entirely socialized, constituted by the myths or techniques of modern adult life” (27), we have a responsibility as parents to heavily consider if this technological aspect of adult life is an appropriate replacement for traditional toys and play. More importantly we must ask ourselves, what will become of future generations if they never play with toys or each