Alexander Stefanovic

About the Author

Pronouns He/Him/His preferred name Xander. Hello my name is Alexander Stefanovic, I am a junior at Boston University who studies international relations. I grew up between Italy and New York and developed a love for traveling. When not occupied with school you can find me exploring culture in any form (primarily food, art, and music).

Evolution of the Stick

Play has been an essential component of the human experience throughout history. While the culture and the act of play have shifted and changed drastically as history has progressed, play (or the lack thereof) has undeniably impacted the development of past and current generations. One of the most common ways children engaged in play was through interaction with toys, archeologists have found toys dating back more than five thousand years old. By examining toys and their evolution one can see how the act of play and the attitudes around it have changed, specifically regarding boys. The modern state of play for boys in the United States is one that is directly linked to violence as demonstrated by the popularity of toys like Nerf guns and famous games like the Call the Duty of Duty series. In this essay, I plan to examine the history of toys marketed toward boys to analyze how children engage with play and its influence on their development.

Toys began to slowly infiltrate American society in the 1800s. The technological advancements made during the industrial revolution impacted all spheres of life including toys. While toys slowly began to emerge it is still important to note that children of these times had far fewer toys than children nowadays. At this time social class also had a large influence on what children played with, and how they played, and in many cases, children worked strenuous jobs with long hours that barred them from engaging in the realm of play. While toys were not nearly as common as they are today rich children enjoyed a variety of toys. These toys were usually still made by hand by skilled craftsmen which demanded high prices. In these homes, toys were a symbol of wealth. A popular toy that represented this was the rocking horse. These horses were made by skilled craftsmen with high-quality materials and the toy’s mane was often made with real horse hair. An example of this high-quality craftsmanship can be found when examining the photograph on the right. The image depicts Francis Wayland Sherman at two years and ten months. Francis grew up in Ludlow, Vermont was the son of a successful businessman with pharmaceutical and music enterprises that he would eventually inherit and manage. The horse is a beautiful example of luxurious craftsmanship, its dappled gray pattern was popular at the time because it was a favorite of Queen Victoria. While the child likely had fun on this rocking horse it is clear that toys like these were just as much of a demonstration of wealth as it was a child’s toy. Images like these demonstrate how at this time crafted toys were still almost exclusively reserved for children in prominent well-off families. If poorer children had any toys at all they were almost always handmade with cheap accessible materials like paper and cloth. The inequality of this time period could directly be seen in how children engaged in play.

The technological advancements of the industrial revolution impacted all spheres of American life including toys. The industrialization of the toy manufacturing process meant that toys could be mass-produced at a lower cost. Well, toys were still something overwhelmingly enjoyed by children of privilege these technological advancements made toys more affordable and accessible. A prime example of this can be seen when examining one of the most popular toys, marbles. At the end of the nineteenth century, Sam Dyke created a wooden block with six grooves that an operator would move back and forth. This process allowed marble to be mass-produced and during its peak, Dykes factory in Akron Ohio was producing almost a million marbles a day. The advancements of the industrial revolution also allowed for greater production of board games like the popular snake game pictured here. This time period was critical in the history of toys because developments in technology helped usher in an era where toys could be more accessible. While toys became more accessible it is also important to note that the latter half of the nineteenth century also saw the emergence of the gendering of toys.

Toys continued to develop into the twentieth century and during this time clear trend in the gendering of toys began to emerge. While toys were not as aggressively marketed to specific gender as they would be in the future the division of gender in toys began to solidify. One of the most popular toys for young boys at this time was one that would go on to claim an iconic status, toy soldiers. The advancements made in the production process meant that toy soldiers could be cheaply produced in mass and shortly after their introduction into the mainstream toy market, they exploded in popularity. The early models of these figurines were made of tin and later plastic and usually depicted famous battle campaigns. Toy soldiers are significant because they show the infiltration of war in toys and play. I still have vivid memories of my pacifist grandmother cutting the guns of my toy soldiers because she did not want to promote violence, but did these toys actually promote violence or did they give young boys a place to explore through play? In his book Modelling for War? Toy Soldiers in Late Victorian and Edwardian Britain Kenneth Brown examines the history of these toys in an attempt to answer the question. While playing with toys may not have directly promoted violence Brown argues that they had an undeniable impact on societal attitudes toward war and militarism. He goes on to state that the production and consumption of toy soldiers played a significant role in the glorification of war and imperialist ideology. He concludes that toy soldiers played a significant role in shaping the identities and values of the young boys who played with them. The emergence of popular toys like these highlights the undeniable link between toys and themes of violence and war in male-gendered toys.

As the twentieth century progressed an increasing number of children had “pocket money” that they could spend as they wished on things like toys. Now that the consumer base for toys had its own spending power toy companies shifted their strategy and began marketing their products directly to kids. Many of these toys and the way they were marketed were heavily influenced by Hollywood and popular media. Movies depicting gangsters, cowboys, and action heroes influenced both toys themselves and how they were marketed. One popular toy to emerge out of this was toy guns, with products like the Daisy outdoor rifle symbolizing the American childhood of the time. This commercial for the Mattel Tommy burst detective set is a direct demonstration of this. Clearly inspired by the popular genre of gangster movies, the ad is selling kids a kit that comes with a toy Tommy gun, fake ammunition, and a snub nose revolver with a holster. The ad for the famous Daisy air rifle pictured here is another clear demonstration of how companies used popular culture to directly target kids. The opening sentence of the poster reads “If you get (or got) money for a Christmas Gift - use it to buy the Daisy’s famous 1000-shot Red Ryder Cowboy Carbine”. The voice in the ad is directly addressing children and using popular notions of the wild west to make its product exciting and appealing. In addition to glorifying violence in the play space of young boys ads like these also reinforced harmful and dangerous racial stereotypes.

The end of the twentieth century marked another critical time in American history, the technological revolution, whose advancements have had a significant impact on every aspect of human life. These advancements allowed for the creation of digital toys that would revolutionize the act of play. One of the most iconic digital toys to emerge from this period was the Gameboy. The Gameboy was a handheld 8-bit electronic gaming device that was released to the public by Nintendo in 1989. The Gameboy's impact on play was nothing short of revolutionary. Prior to the Gameboy, gaming consoles were bulky and had to be connected to a television or computer. The Gameboy changed this by introducing a lightweight device that could be played anywhere at any time. Its portability and vast selection of games made it incredibly popular and inspired the creation of numerous other portable gaming systems like the Nintendo DS or Sony’s PSP. Originally the games played on these consoles were simple and included things like tennis, Tetris, and Super Mario Land, and was marketed to all children. As these gaming devices grew in popularity so did the complexity and selection of games available. Like the toy industry, the video game industry started becoming increasingly gendered. Companies began designing and marketing games that adhered to gender expectations. Girls' games included titles like “Cooking Mama”, “Style Savvy”, and “My Baby Girl while boys could expect violent fighting and shooting games like “Mortal Kombat” or “GoldenEye 007”.

This emergence of violence in video games has been a subject of much debate and controversy for years. Although violence has been a common theme for much of digital games history, the level of graphic and realistic violence depicted in modern games has raised concerns amongst parents and psychologists. The 1990s saw the rise of first-person shooter games such as “Doom” and “Quake,” which allowed users to engage in graphic depictions of violence and gore. Despite leading to controversy and debate about potential negative impacts on young players games like these became wildly popular leading to the conception of numerous sequels and imitators. In the 2000s, the Grand Theft Auto series emerged and became one of the most popular and controversial video game franchises of all time. This series allowed players to engage in a variety of violent criminal acts like gun battles and car theft which has led to calls for regulation by parents and lawmakers who fear they have detrimental effects on the youth. Despite the continuous debate surrounding these games, studies have produced mixed results. “The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly: A Meta-analytic Review of Positive and Negative Effects of Violent Video Games” was a research study that reaffirmed this inconclusive position. The study found that playing violent video games can positively impact users by improving cognitive skills like spatial reasoning and problem-solving. However, the study also indicates that playing these games can increase aggressive behavior and desensitize players to real-world violence. While the study calls for further research in this field it strongly suggests that the positive effects of playing violent video games are limited to short-term improvements in cognitive skills while the negative consequences are more enduring and significant.

Like video games, many popular toys marketed to boys today still carry the same notions of violence and war. A prime example can be seen in the safer and more modern version of the traditional toy rifle, the Nerf gun. This ad depicts a group of young boys engaged in skirmish and shows off the Nerf gun's numerous features like its automatic firing mechanism. While these Nerf guns are far safer than the toy rifles the latchkey generation played with they still promote notions of violence and present the risk of serious injury. While many would argue that the use of war toys and play fighting promote notions of violence and negatively impact young boys, some people argue that this form of play provides young boys with numerous benefits. In “Young Children’s Play Fighting and Use of War Toys,” authors Jennifer Hart and Michelle Tannock point out that play violence can help children develop physical skills like balance and coordination. Additionally, they argue that play fighting can help children develop important social and emotional skills, like cooperation, self-regulation, and empathy, as they negotiate rules, take turns, and communicate with each other. They suggest that war toys, like guns, can provide a critical context for young boys to explore themes of power, aggression, and conflict in a safe and controlled environment. They argue that through this play, boys can experiment with different roles and scenarios, which in turn help them understand and process their own emotions and experiences related to these themes. However, the numerous issues that arise from playfighting and war toys can not be underestimated. One of the main concerns with playfighting and war toys is their obvious promotion of aggression and violence, which can lead young boys to become desensitized to violent behavior through repeated exposure to these toys, which can result in them becoming more accepting of violent behavior in real-life situations. Additionally, these war toys often serve to reinforce gender stereotypes. Promoting this narrow view of what is considered feminine or masculine these toys can restrict young boys' play and limit their opportunities to explore and develop their own interests and skills. This is further reinforced by Professors Lisa M. Dinella and Erica Weisgram in their article “Gender-Typing of Children’s Toys: Causes, Consequences, and Correlates” which explores the ways in which gender stereotypes are perpetuated through children's toys. The authors argue that these gender stereotypes can have negative consequences for children's development and contribute to the persistence of gender inequalities. When children are exposed to gender-stereotyped toys, they may be discouraged from exploring interests unassociated with their gender which can limit their opportunities for learning and development in areas outside of their prescribed gender roles. Toys marketed exclusively to girls emphasize domesticity and nurturing while those marketed to boys promote aggression and competition. Overall, this article supports the idea that the gendering of toys can have significant negative consequences on children and serve to further enforce traditional gender roles.

Toys and the concept of play have an important and undeniable role in the history of the United States. In the 1800s toys were almost exclusively reserved for children in well-off families, however, the technological advancements of the industrial revolution made toys more accessible. This increase in accessibility would lead toys to become commonplace in most American households. As toys became increasingly popular the companies manufacturing and selling them began to gender their products. Toys marketed towards boys often contained notions of violence and war and gave rise to popular products like the Nerf gun and Daisy Air rifle. While the technological revolution ushered in a new era of play and toys through electronic consoles the video games played on these devices were still heavily gendered and contained graphic depictions of violence. While there is not enough data to make a conclusive statement on whether war toys and games have negative consequences for the development of young boys it is clear that the continuous gendering of toys is limiting and potentially harmful. War toys and games may possess numerous social dilemmas but they also have the potential to provide young boys with valuable lessons and fun. As toys and the nature of play continue to change the underlying themes surrounding them have withstood the test of time.

H.N. Roberts (American, active 1860s). Francis Wayland Sherman at the Age of 2 Years 10 Months. 1862. Albumen print from wet collodion negative, Image: 18.6 x 13.3 cm (7 5/16 x 5 1/4 in.); Mounted: 25.1 x 19.9 cm (9 7/8 x 7 13/16 in.); Matted: 50.8 x 40.6 cm (20 x 16 in.). <a href="http://www.clevelandart.org/">The Cleveland Museum of Art</a>; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Collection: Photography; Department: Photography; John L. Severance Fund. https://jstor.org/stable/community.24622579.

Snake Game Rules. , None. [Between 1840 and 1860] Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/2007675305/.

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Dinella, Lisa M., and Erica S. Weisgram. “Gender-Typing of Children's Toys: Causes, Consequences, and Correlates - Sex Roles.” SpringerLink. Springer US, July 20, 2018. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11199-018-0943-3.

Nerf. "Nerf Longshot." YouTube video, 3:22, posted by "NerfHaller," August 6, 2013, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0d3Xq-yXn4.

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