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Toddlers & Tiaras – The Show That Makes Me Cry

December 19, 2011 By

toddlersSo-called “Reality TV” gets sicker and sicker every year, but the one show that really gets to me is Toddlers & Tiaras on TLC. This show is all about beauty pageants for little girls, from babies to 3-4 year olds. More than that, it’s about the moms and their obsession with everything from hair to makeup to presentation. They continually tell us on the show how their daughters love it, but you can’t help but wonder who really likes it more.

It’s hard to describe how wrong the show is. The kinds of pressure they put the kids under, the complete obsession with “winning”. I literally make me upset just to talk about it. I suggest you watch an episode yourself to fully understand. I can’t stand watching the kids on this show, no matter how much they seem to enjoy it at times. I’m sure an elephant at a circus thinks it’s got it good at times, but we all know he would be just as well and probably better free on the safari.

The general objectivity of beauty at such an early age, the mothers who often act horribly and yell at the kids. The pounds and pounds of makeup, the mouth inserts to change the jawline. This show literally makes me want to cry. I cannot watch it. There is nothing cute or funny about it. These are real kids who deserve to just be kids and not parade around and win crowns to make their moms feel better about themselves.

 

Filed Under: Blog, Culture, TV/Entertainment Tagged With: , , , ,

Kids Creating And Producing Their Own Toys

December 4, 2011 By

Disruptive Technology

A disruptive technology or disruptive innovation is an innovation that helps create a new market and value network, and eventually goes on to disrupt an existing market and value network (over a few years or decades), displacing an earlier technology there.

3D printing is not terribly new and has been around a few years, but putting this technology into the hands of kids IS groundbreaking and could lead to all kinds of unexpected consequences. The prototype Origo 3D printer is made for children 10 and up to design objects on a computer and print them out in 3D to play with. Yes, kids designing and creating their own custom made toys. I have always preferred the random box of legos to the highly designed play sets they make these days. With a random box of shapes and colors, you can endlessly create all kinds of lego toys to play with. The only limit is your imagination. In that same spirit, this 3D printer can free kids minds even further to create literally anything they can think of. They could even make toys for friends. Technologically, the ability to design and create your own objects is very cool, but what kind of disruption could this cause for the toy industry?

Oh Barbie and GI Joe don’t have to worry quite yet, but for how long? Per the definition, disruptive technology can take decades, so how much better do you think the technology will be in 20 years? This isn’t just a disruptive technology for the toy industry but as larger, and even more sophisticated versions of 3D printing are made for adults, it could be disruptive to a large sector of manufacturing. How many companies will be savvy enough to make the transition to selling the designs for objects rather than the objects themselves? How many entrepreneurs will get there first, selling their own versions of products directly to customers on the Internet?

Filed Under: Blog, Technology Tagged With: , , , ,

McDonalds Reduces Fries In Happy Meals

July 26, 2011 By

Happy MealThank you McDonalds. As a parent, it’s very difficult to avoid a little McDonalds now and then. We  have reduced our visits quite a bit, but sometimes there’s no avoiding it. McDonalds announced today that they will be cutting the french fry portion of their Happy Meal in half and adding apples. Thankfully they will not add a dipping sauce for the apples like so many other so. That sauce is basically a highly sugary carmel sauce. McDonalds also says they will reduce saturated fats, sugar and calories across the entire menu in time as well.

Consumer groups have been hammering McDonalds for years now to change their manu in these ways. A recent study came out last week noting that more sates than ever now count their population as obese. I’m not sure if American attitudes on health and fitness are strong enough to impact McDonalds as more people choose better options but I believe companies like McDonalds have a moral responsibility to act when studies like these come out. There is no doubt they are contributing to the obesity of America which has all kinds of negative impacts in other areas. Feed us, McDonalds but please don’t kill us. As a parent I applaud these recent changes as my 3yr old will eat little else but chicken nuggets and Mac&Cheese.

Filed Under: Blog, Digital Dads, Food/Eating, Health Tagged With: , , ,