Some things are better left unchanged.
Mattel plan to launch a new Barbie doll which has a built-in digital camera. The product allows a child to point and click Barbie using the button on her belt. The image then appears on the front of Barbie’s T-shirt. Pictures can also be downloaded to a computer.
It’s not just Barbie; other classic games such as Monopoly and Hot Wheels cars are also getting hi-tech makeovers.
It seems toy makers are updating classic toys with new high-tech features designed to entertain “technology-obsessed” children.
So why the drastic measures? Well, the numbers speak for themselves. Research shows that more than a third of children aged eight years and younger use mobile devices like iPads or smartphones, while a quarter of children aged between five to eight actually multitask with digital devices. What ever happened to a game of marbles in the sand pit?
