It’s that time of year again, when the folks are jolly and the malls are a nightmare. For many years, it has been an American tradition for parents to scour the stores frantically for every little thing on their children’s lists, trampling the elderly in the process. As I watched endless commercials these past few days advertising the absolute best deals on the most up-to-date trendy electronics, a few items stuck out to me which dampened my holiday cheer.
The first humbug item: the Yoostar. This brand spanking new device comes with a green screen that allows you and your friends to put yourselves in scenes from popular movies. When you’re done making your best Arnold impersonation, you can upload the scene to YouTube to annoy — I mean, share with the whole world. The best part: you only have to shell out $169.95. Whatever happened to good ol’ fashioned charades? As far as I know, it’s free, and when combined with a few holiday “spirits” it can provide hours of belly-aching entertainment.
The e-reader is not new this holiday season, but it has become increasingly more popular with the release of the Amazon Kindle ($259). The device has gotten rave reviews so far, and is apparently the height of e-book technology. Granted, buying and storing books instantaneously on one small device is extremely easy and convenient, and of course, no paper cuts. However, it takes away from the age-old tradition of curling up with a great book that has you turning the pages frantically. Some of my fondest childhood memories are of straining to read the last few chapters of a book by flashlight hours after my bedtime. Somehow it just wouldn’t be the same to shine my flashlight on an electronic screen.
The Kindle poses other problems. You cannot share or resell your purchases, unless you want to pass around the device to your friends. Personally, I love recommending a good book to a friend, and letting them borrow it — as long as they don’t bend the spine, of course. I think I’d have more of a problem lending my $259 Kindle to all my buddies.
Also, the publishing industry and bookstores will suffer, as if they don’t already have enough on their plates, competing with video games. Amazon will monopolize the industry. If the e-book trend catches on too much, the joy of perusing a bookstore, leafing through random titles and sipping coffee in a big leather armchair will be forever lost. This seems like a cultural sacrifice to me.
On to the kiddies. When I saw the commercial for this one, I knew all hope was lost. The VTech Ride and Learn Giraffe Bike, for $54.99. Youngsters pedal maniacally on a cutesy giraffe while staring at a small screen that attempts to educate them the faster they pedal. I hope it comes with an extra dose of Ritalin. This concept of a stationary, indoor bike for children confuses me. Shouldn’t we save those for when we’re 40, overweight and want to pedal in front of the TV? Whatever happened to letting your kids play outside and ride real bicycles? I have a feeling this generation of tikes will all be a little too sheltered and glued to all kinds of screens: on their bikes, when they read a book, when they play a game.
So this holiday season, think twice before you spend your entire paycheck on one of these or similar electronics. Decide if it’s really worth your money, and what you may be giving up in the process. Having a good time does not have to be confined to battery power.
