Doll Web Sites Drive Girls to Stay Home and Play

Once again, this week I found myself browsing the web looking for another interesting look into the Barbie phenomenon. Interestingly, I found an article that describes a new way of playing with dolls. I am sure we have all heard of the digital utopia of Second Life, however this is not what I am referring too. This child friendly version is known as Cartoon Doll Emporium. The site lets children dress up their virtual dolls and chat with their friends. And 9 year old Presleigh Montemayor believes the site might begin to beat playing with regular dolls. “With Barbie, if you want clothes, it costs money. You can do it on the Internet for free,” she explains. This new fad has attracted millions of children, especially girls, to take a higher step away from the traditional ways of playing with dolls. Cartoon Doll Emporium is “like Facebook or MySpace with training wheels, aimed at an audience that may be getting its first exposure to the Web.” Other sites like these include: Club Penguin, Webkinz, and Stardoll. However, Barbie has found that they must take this new attraction, and put forth with their own competitive forces. Mattel is introducing BarbieGirls.com, which with be another dress-up site with chat features. Although, the allure of these sites do seem to be attracting lots of newcomers, parents are still encouraging their children to stick with old-fashioned alternatives. “If you’re lucky enough to have a kid next door,” Sherry Turkle, a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who studies the social aspects of technology, exclaims, “I’d have a play date instead of letting your kid sit at the computer.” So although I would note that the interactive websites will continue to be a fun alternative to traditional children’s games, I still believe that the demand for the actual tangible doll or toy will continue to thrive. I mean what kid do you know is asking Santa for a subscription to a website…instead of an actual toy…?

Quotes taken from: "Doll Web Sites Drive Girls to Stay Home and Play" from The New York Times, published June 6th, 2007