Is the possibility of more sales worth teaching our youth how to discriminate? Is money more important than giving our children the freedom to chose? More important than teaching our children what’s right?
The Ferrero company has recently launched the newest edition to their Kinder Egg chocolate collection: the Kinder Surprise for girls! This has been highly controversial as many argue that this marketing move is sexist and discriminatory.
Kinder used to offer gender neutral eggs that contained toys that any child could play with, regardless of gender; but now the company has placed girls into a specific category, and assumes these toys are more ‘suitable’ for girls. I find that marketing this to young girls is unethical; it creates a “set of standards that young children subconsciously feel they have to achieve,” says blogger Daria Mancino.
This type of marketing encourages stereotyping and gender discrimination. Children today should grow up in a society that lets them be whoever they want. A girl should know she can play with cars, lego, or other typically boyish toys, and a boy should be able to dress up a barbie without being ridiculed.
It is unethical, because children are the target. Children are naive, and should not be unfairly targeted. Ferrero should mess with someone its own size.
It is wrong to declare toys to be solely ‘for girls’ or ‘for boys’. Ferrero could’ve introduced the ‘new kinder barbie collection’ (as apposed to saying ‘for girls’), hence giving children the freedom to chose. It is unfair for adults to categorize certain toys and make kids feel as if though it is just for one gender. We should be encouraging boys and girls to choose, and should give them the freedom to think for themselves.
They are the future, let’s teach them right.
Sources:
https://www.change.org/petitions/kinder-surprise-eggs-for-girls-stop-gender-stereotyping