Stereotypes In Toys

Another aspect of career choice being impacted by gender stereotypes in toys is imagination. Imagination affects what one's career will be, and toys have a direct impact on imagination. Imagination is heavily promoted by toys, especially wooden blocks and water tables (“Importance”). Toys can also help babies and young children develop imaginative skills through pretend play (“Impact”). Gender stereotyping causes limited imagination in kids, and for girls to miss out on problem solving opportunities such as pretending to be in a career normally labeled as “for boys” (“Learning”). Imagination also helps kids develop new and innovative ideas. Imagination is an important part in the learning process and can help kids wrap their heads around historical
Boys think they need to have muscle, and girls think they need to be a pretty princess (Sweet). The advertising and packaging of toys creates an "ideal" boy who is tough, rough, rowdy, and dirty. This shows boys that being sensitive is not okay, and gives them low expectations for their performance at school (“Toys”). Children think that boys are academically inferior to girls, and this message comes from the rowdy and rough boy on toy packages. Even at these very young ages, boys' performance on an academic task is affected by messages that suggest that girls will do better than they will (“Negative”). Dressing up can make girls think that they need to be beautiful (“Toys”). Makeup sets for toddlers, 'Top Model' stationery, and princess dresses create an image girls think they need to conform to. These toys make girls think that beauty is more important than ability (“Toys”). Eighty-seven percent of girls think women are judged more on their appearance than on their ability (“Girls’”). Glamour and beauty that is portrayed in toys has young girls worrying about their own looks and beauty (“Why”). When girls play with Barbie, they obtain the idea that that is what they need to look like, even though that body is pretty close to impossible of getting (Graydon). Still, when girls grow up seeing the skinny Barbies and princess they create an image of what they think they're supposed to look like. As they grow older their longing to be skinnier like they're dolls turns into eating disorders, which are in the rise (“Toys”). This constant worry of their appearance takes girls focus away from achieving their goals and learning. Toys with gender stereotypes cause children to conform to stereotypes by developing depression, and changing their personality and