a peek inside the fishbowl

So, hey, guess what? I will be a once-a-week guest blogger over at the UsedEverywhere blog for the next while.

UsedOttawa falls under the UsedEverywhere umbrella; a network of free online classified community websites. It is c-o-o-l. Not only is the business of secondhand goods super eco-friendly (AND easy on the wallet), but I happen to know that Used Ottawa works really hard to provide a positive selling and buying experience for all involved. I didn’t realize this before, but staff monitor all the ads for scams and SPAM, and most importantly, ensure that the content is family-friendly. This is good.

How this gig came about is a rather long story which involves LinkedIn and a Skype video interview that involved an ACTUAL TELEPHONE (technology fail!) as well as several shrieking children (plus one barky dog) in my living room. But I’m skipping all that and just letting you know that my first post is now online. I would really appreciate it if you could scoot over there and leave a comment. Please and thank you!

Now that Halloween is over, retailers start playing Christmas/holiday/gift giving season music and focusing on a brand new opportunity to give stuff. Thinking of shopping early? Here’s something to consider. According to a recent article in the Telegraph, children are “… turning their backs on traditional toys at Christmas in favour of the latest high-tech gadgets.”

The study was done by DURACELL. Let’s ponder that for a moment and wonder aloud why this study is receiving ANY major media attention. It’s an article about gadgets, sponsored by a company that powers them.

The study revealed that “… the top 10 most wanted toys for this Christmas among children aged five to 16, revealed a grown-up taste in gifts, with Apple products, including the iPhone 4, iPod Touch and iPad dominating the top three places.”

I mean, of COURSE kids want iPads and the like. Fer chrissakes. It’s FUN. And they see daddy hunched over it playing Angry Birds and mummy glued to her iPhone twittering with friends every single day. It doesn’t mean they should get one.

But do you really believe that a pretty doll or a puzzle or soccer ball just doesn’t cut it anymore?

I find this totally outrageous, and at the same time it depresses the crap right out of me. What do you think?

ETA: And what about this: “[the study] found more than three out of five parents admitted choosing Christmas presents that would keep their youngsters quiet throughout the holidays.”