JUST IN: Toys “R” Us announces its biggest expansion in nearly a decade, opening 120 stores across the U.S. as toy sales surge among adult shoppers.

There are little colorful unicorn toys that my kid likes. She plays out long, complicated scenarios with them. The problem is that the unicorns are extremely overpriced. It says on the box that they are not toys but “collectible items.” They are very specifically aimed at adults. Every time we see them at the store, my daughter asks me why on earth an adult would want what is clearly a child’s toy.

There are also the sad dolls. These are very expensive and often very realistic dolls with sad, depressed, or weeping countenances. They are also aimed at adults. The adult section of every toy store is expanding dramatically. Often, it makes the toy stores or the areas of bookstores reserved for children practically unusable for actual children. These adult items are often branded with swear words. Being in a children’s section of a bookstore with a child has become an exercise in maneuvering in such a way that the child doesn’t see the inappropriate adult-themed stuff.

Come to think of it, what are Lindsey Clancy conspiracies or maroon sweatshirt obsessives, if not an imitation of children’s imaginative play? What does the support for Clancy indicate, if not resentment against children who are not letting adults pose as children?

7 responses to “Toys for Adults”

  1. Physpostdoc Avatar
    Physpostdoc

    Very disturbing 😦

    I wonder if this is a sign of intense isolation and lack of emotional maturity — caused by severe dependence on our devices and social media as the primary means to understand and process the societal dynamics, and precipitated by disappearance of safety nets that close knit families, grandparents and communities automatically provided in childhood years.

    Frequently, I find in my research work, that it is getting much harder to deal with young people and students. A 28 year old graduate student/postdoc with advanced physics and mathematical skills behaves like an infantilized adult and has an obscene sense of entitlement in terms of how the everyone should arrange their life to honor their worldview and mitigate any slightest inconvenience to them — few examples include inability to join meetings on time and little regard for deadlines, inability to take critical feedback and throwing a tantrum at being asked to behave like a professional scientist, demolishing at the slightest tremor of stress or conflict at work, etc. The chasm between emotional and chronological age was never more stark than what I see in Gen-Z and Gen-alpha “kids”.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Clarissa Avatar

      I don’t have PhD students of my own, but my friend in STEM does. What you say is identical to what she tells me about her experiences with these students. The most recent story that shocked me was when my friend took her new PhD student to a restaurant. It’s a very good restaurant, not remotely fast food or a chain, and of course, my friend paid for the student’s meal. Instead of thanking her at the end of the meal, the PhD student said that she didn’t like the outing much because she prefers to go to more upscale places.

      “”That is good to know,” said my friend. “Next time, you should invite me to one of those upscale places.”

      The student has been pouting ever since.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Physpostdoc Avatar
        Physpostdoc

        Unbelievable!

        I would eat my tongue before I dare to say such a thing to my senior, especially a mentor! Such entitled brats.

        FWIW, I have realized from my personal experiences, and also heard from other women professors, that relaxing the hierarchy by having more social interactions with students hurts female faculty much harder than male professors. Being more distant and aloof is the order of the day — better to be a bitch than doormat (as put bluntly by a senior colleague of mine)!

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        1. Clarissa Avatar

          We have these steel badges with our names and positions that we wear at university events. This year, we’re asked to order new ones because our logo has changed, and we need to have badges with the new logo. I requested that my first name should be dropped from my badge completely. I want people to forget that I even have a first name. I’m Professor Last Name, and that’s that. Exactly for the reason you mention.

          Liked by 1 person

          1. Physpostdoc Avatar
            Physpostdoc

            I hear you.
            I use my first initial (not full first name) and last name even on my publications. Thankfully my last name is not common enough so it kind of works — infuriating nonetheless!

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            1. Clarissa Avatar

              A colleague told me about being present at a meeting recently where people were introduced in the following way: “These are Dr. Smith, Dr. Mishra, Dr. Gonzalez, Dr. Peterson, and Annie.” Annie is a full professor and not particularly young, let’s put it that way. One of the visitors thought she was a secretary after being introduced this way.

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              1. Physpostdoc Avatar
                Physpostdoc

                ”Micro”aggression my ass x-(

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