Are Toys ONLY for Children?

storiesoferne (71)in Rant, Complain, Talk • last year

Hope you had a joyous Christmas season. Since this special occasion is typically celebrated not only for adults and mature people, but most importantly for kids, I thought “Why not dive deeper into this post’s intriguing topic”?

A debatable question perhaps? Alright, let's commence from square one.

You see, the term “toy” is too generic in meaning, in my opinion. If we define it from a traditional perspective, it would refer to “playthings” that children enjoy themselves with, right? This was applicable during the good old days when we associated these creative inventions with the youngest members of society. Our world was still young, innocent, and simple, thus wasn't influenced by the complicated standards that are normal today.

Do you remember the toys you were exposed to when you were still a baby? Apart from being a means of fun, they existed to eliminate your boredom, educate you about your immediate surroundings, and orient you about life in general.

As we grew up and became toddlers, toys developed and progressed according to our age levels, providing us the usual learning and entertaining functions they were primarily designed for.

Upon reaching our teenage years and our introduction into early adolescence, toys advanced to suit the requirements of our specific age group.

And eventually, as we matured to becoming fully grown adults, toys also evolved and became more sophisticated to adapt to our ever-changing needs, reflecting our desired lifestyles.

In fact, the word “toy” embraced a distinctive life of its own by evolving into other familiar terminologies such as device, tool, gadget, and the popular expression “toys for the big boys” which pretty much point to the material riches of our financially wealthy counterparts like cars, yachts, guns, electronics, airplanes, and other expensive collectibles. The list is endless.

Therefore, because of these incremental transformations in the evolution of its exact definition, toys could literally mean anything, depending on their possible context and who are the specific individuals playing with them. True?

Now that we’ve examined toys from a contextual approach, I suggest that the more fascinating triggers for conversations rest in their respective usage and ownership.

Interesting questions that could spark controversy may include the following examples:

Can an adult woman play with a girl’s doll?

Will a retiree in his senior years appear ridiculous if he collects miniature plastic soldiers for personal recreation?

Is a 5 year old boy allowed to adventure with a high-tech piece of machinery like a racecar?

Does a female teenager have the freedom to wear a man’s wristwatch as a fashionable aesthetic?

What if a child tinkers with a sophisticated game console that features “Mobile Legends”?

Without a doubt, I can absolutely relate to them. I was even branded as childish by family and friends after they discovered my unusual obsession with all kinds of toys, especially the ones that didn’t have relevant connections to my age.

Believe it or not, I also have the strange tendency to amass my own treasure trove of action figures of robots (Gundam, Voltes V, Transformers) cartoon characters (Bugs Bunny, Duffy Duck, Mickey Mouse), and superheroes (Batman, X-Men, Ironman, Star Wars) to name a few - not to mention scaled replicas of top-of-the-line automobiles.

As weird and inappropriate as some of these scenarios are, let me ask you:

Would you scold, reprimand, and correct the above-mentioned individuals from playing with their choice of toys regardless of their bizarre relationships and exposure to ridicule? Is it moral to judge them despite of their absurd decisions? What if these toys truly provide them with genuine happiness?