Touchscreen Gadgets Have Overtaken Real Toys in Kid’s Lives

What was your favorite toy to play with when you were growing up? Ken and Barbie dolls? Dollhouses? Hot Wheels cars? If I’m being honest, I loved collecting action figures when I was a kid – I had tons of Star Wars and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles figures. I even had a sewer system for the Turtles to live in. I haven’t even mentioned all of the Ghost Busters things I had – there may not be enough words left in this post to talk about all of the awesome toys I remember from my childhood.

I reminisce about all of that for a reason – kids in future generations may not have a childhood like that at all if current statistics continue to ring true. A recent study conducted by the Michael Cohen Group shows that physical toys are giving way to their electronic counterparts. More specifically, it shows that more kids are playing with touchscreen gadgets than “real” toys, such as action figures or race cars.

Is This A Good Thing Or A Bad Thing?

Breaking some of their findings down even more, it shows that of parents with kids from ages 12 and down, 60% of them allow their children use some type of touchscreen device often. And of those initial 60%, 38% of them let their kids do so very often.

While it might be natural to assume that most of the activities are learning based, the statistics actually show that kids are playing more games than anything else. If these statistics continue to rise, in future years “real” toys might be something of a minority in places around the world. And, as someone who grew up with and loved playing with toys, I’d hate to see that happen. Don’t get me wrong – I love technology – but I don’t want to see it overtake every aspect of our lives, especially when it comes to our childhoods.

What do you think? Do these statistics surprise you in the least? Let us know! (And, if you’re interested, you can view the research for yourself, here.)

[Image via SecondNatureJournal]

SOURCE: http://news.cnet.com/8301-17852_3-57619327-71/kids-play-with-gadgets-more-than-toys-study-says/