Horror At “Vlogger Kit” Play Set Prompts Debate About Kids Toys and Aspirational Jobs

While many universal childhood memories change based on what generation you belong to, one thing that has almost always stayed the same is being asked "what do you want to be when you grow up?". It's pretty much a rite of passage that adults are aghast at the most popular answers, which when I was young were usually along the lines of being a famous singer or a sports star.

However, we live in the internet age now, baby, and today things are a little different. It's been reported that many under-13s now aspire to being a vlogger or a YouTuber, so it is no surprise that toy manufacturers have started to take notice. Cue the headshaking from @dylanviner, who has recently gone viral for his dismay over finding a toy "Vlogger Kit", complete with fake camera, ring light, and microphone. Not everyone shared in his horror: some argued that it was unfair to dismiss content creation as a career, while others compared the toy to some of the less glamorous options they had played with when they were children.

Although the fact that this kit is on sale may be a sign of the changing times, it represents a very similar thing to the pretend cash register or miniature kitchen today's adults might be more familiar with. Encouraging kids to roleplay adult jobs is nothing new, but surely it's not something you need to be preoccupied with before you even know how to read? Nonetheless, it's likely that we will see a lot more of this kind of play set in the future.

Posted by Ally Perry