Introduction
Mattel is an American organization specializing in toy development and marketing. The entity is the local puppet market leader courtesy of its intermittent innovation plan. The desire to extend market share recently led Mattel to design famous gender-neutral toys, mostly targeting transgender children. The aspect causes significant concerns among different people, mostly parents. Accordingly, Mattel’s gender-neutral toys exhibit significant benefits, but primarily to the company.
Helpfulness of Gender-Neutral Toys
Mattel’s gender-neutral toys have varied effects on children, parents, and society. The invention is partly helpful but remains highly political based on several aspects. The dolls help the company more than any other party, thus the concerns. A specific benefit that gender-neutral puppets cause to children is exposing them to balanced roles necessary for societal growth (Dockterman et al., 2019). Many parents and young boys despise playing with dolls, often preferring masculine elements, such as cars and machinery (Davis & Hines, 2020). On the other hand, young girls and their parents generally prefer feminine dolls that teach the young ones family virtues. The matter significantly alienates the young males to think that family responsibilities, like taking care of families and children are a feminine role, while the girls think that their place is in the family setting. Accordingly, Mattel’s gender-neutral toys significantly help correct this misconception. King et al. (2021) say that boys playing with dollies featuring family themes initially related to females develop into responsible family figures, such as caring fathers and collaborative partners. Correspondingly, the gender-neutral doll is helpful, but primarily to Mattel.
Gender-neutral dolls have beneficial effects on Mattel but cause mixed consequences to societies. Dockterman et al. (2019) refer to Mattel’s focus on gender-neutral toys as mere marketing tactics, where the firm wins significantly by staking its product claims in culture wars. By claiming to suit a special neglected group’s concerns, Mattel aims to convert its toy products into a cause, thus earning competitive advantages. That is why the entity seems to care less about parents’ concerns, with the management defending the moves as necessary steps for the future. Consequently, while some scholars argue that Mattel’s gender-neutral toys mold young males into responsible family members, others believe that the products strategically use brand designs to promote transgender politics (Dockterman et al., 2019). The confusion implies the invention’s mixed effects on society. Therefore, Mattel’s gender-sensitive dolls help the firm, with the management only using societal claims to justify its biased marketing policy.
Need to Buy Gender-Neutral Toys
Certainly, the emergence of gender-neutral dolls does not mean that parents should only buy them for their children. Looking at the aspect deeply justifies this argument. Buying dolls with male and female features wearing skirts only makes boys and girls insensitive to the dress code (Davis & Hines, 2020). The aspect thus reveals the next big objective for Mattel and allies as softening the future generations’ views on emergent nontraditional genders. The move is hardly wrong, but the commercialization of the matter is questionable. King et al. (2019) reiterate the need for parents to protect children from commercial organizations’ alienations meant to create disruptive markets to attain market leadership. Therefore, parents should work with developmental psychologists or pay keen attention to their children to notice those with challenged gender identities buying gender-neutral toys as accommodating tools for balanced development.
Conclusion
Searching the toy market online reveals significantly interesting aspects among marketers and designers. The gender-neutral strategy seems to attract substantial attention towards Mattel, as originally intended by the toy market leader. However, gender sensitivity things appear limited to the U.S. and some European markets. Elsewhere, stores continue to market toys for the binary genders, with those meant for males featuring masculine aspects, whereas those meant for girls depict family, academic, and industry themes. Accordingly, the search results infer many global societies’ concerns about the future of their young ones and the supposedly unsustainable craziness violating fundamental principles promoted by money-thirsty marketers.
References
Davis, J., & Hines, M. (2020). How large are gender differences in toy preferences? A systematic review and meta-analysis of toy preference research. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 49(2), 373-394. Web.
Dockterman, E. Bakalar, S. & Tsai, D. (2019). ‘A Doll for Everyone’: Meet Mattel’s gender-neutral doll. Time. Web.
King, T. L., Scoville, A. J., Meehl, A., Milner, A. J., & Priest, N. (2021). Gender stereotypes and biases in early childhood: A systematic review. Australasian Journal of Early Childhood, 46(2), 112-125. Web.