Jim Silver, editor of Toy Wishes magazine and industry observer for 24 years, explained the popularity of high-tech toys among young children feeds on their desire to emulate their mommies and daddies, who are often seen using their mobile phones, iPods and laptops.
Amazon.com said hot toys on its list include Fisher-Price's Easy Link Internet Launch Pad and the Smart Cycle. The launch pad helps tots surf preschool-appropriate websites, while the cycle is an exercise bike connected to a video game.
Silver added over the past year there was a big increase in sales of toys that involve looking at a screen. "The bigger toy companies don't even call it the toy business anymore... They're in the family entertainment business and the leisure business," he said.
The preference for high-tech gadgets increase with age. According to Amazon.com, 6 out of 9 kids in the 5-to-7 age group go for gizmos. Pediatricians and educators have expressed concern over the shifting child preference for toys where play items without computer screens, USB cables and memory cards are simply too old.
Reyne Rice, a toy trends specialist for the Toy Industry Association, explained, "If you give kids an old toy camera, they look at you like you're crazy," adding the preference for electronic devices as gifts mirrors what they see around them.
Source: http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7009311619
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