Check it out: http://time.com/4197499/barbies-new-body-photos-of-curvy-tall-and-petite/?xid=time_socialflow_facebook

Intended audience: ages 4-10

Primary purpose: Play! Adventure with Polly and friends (no educational agenda)

Link: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Polly-Pocket-Wall-Party-Treehouse/dp/B0094FZO4E/ref=sr_1_1?s=kids&ie=UTF8&qid=1453977146&sr=1-1&keywords=polly+pocket

When I was six year old, one of my most cherished possessions was my Polly Pocket doll. A small, petite, blond plastic toy, Polly evoked my creativity as I conjured up imaginary worlds and adventures. The subject of our play, however, was limited in scope to all things deemed stereotypically “girly.”

Inspired by my past parasocial relationship with Polly and its implicit influence on my own development, I have chosen to evaluate a new Polly Pocket set available on Amazon (Polly Pocket Wall Party Treehouse). My evaluation is guided by Wartella’s framework for creating new media. Specifically, I have honed in on diversity and value for my redesign.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION

The Polly Pocket Wall Party Treehouse is a multiple level play set for the iconic Polly Pocket doll. It includes removable pieces so children can customize their Polly Pocket adventure— interacting with a slide, zip line, basket, Polly doll, and her pet, kitty.

DIVERSITY

Review:

At first glance, this gendered product portrays limited diversity. Polly, herself, is a blond, thin, attractive female. While the toy does not “exploit” stereotypes, it does not provide a variety of diverse dolls to interact with the play set. There is no option to choose a different format of the doll. Attempts at diversity are limited to including graphic representation of Polly’s friends on the cover of the box. However, such inclusions of clearly fake, diverse, friends are juxtaposed by the image of the included blond Polly doll. This Polly doll is not a graphic drawing, but rather, a real component. I believe that the clear distinction is an interesting design choice!

Redesign:

Polly Pocket has a large gap to fill in terms of creating an appealing product for children from a variety of racial backgrounds. I believe that one approach to sparking more meaningful para-social relationships for a larger audience is to create dolls that resemble different races. If affordability is a problem for some families, Polly Pocket might also redesign the product to include a base model and various ‘add-on’ features for those who can afford it. This way, socioeconomic status will not be a large deterrent for children to play with the toy.

INTERACTIVITY/ EDUCATION

Review:

This Polly Pocket set has received glowing reviews on Amazon. The toy is not meant to be educational, but rather for play. I believe that its format succeeds in achieving this goal— children are able to safely play and modify the set. As many other doll toys, Polly Pocket does not offer many simulations for “real life choices” or a large exposure to new and interesting ideas. It does, however, foster a sense of community by providing children the opportunity to join a social network connecting Polly Pocket doll users.

VALUE

Review:

Clearly, this toy is very fun for children of the appropriate age and gender demographic. The content and format of the toy is valuable as it promotes play and creativity. Furthermore, it promotes gender diversity by creating a product in which girls are not limited to explore topics with clearly feminine stereotypes, such as the fashion set I grew up with. Rather, it portrays Polly as an adventurous “maker.” She has the capabilities of thriving in the outdoors, and building her own fun moments.

Redesign:

I think the message of subtle female empowerment in this toy can be strengthened. Because the hands-on features resemble engineering toys for boys, I believe it could be an incredible stepping stone to increase female exposure to STEM at a young age. To incorporate this new vision, inspirational quotes and messages regarding the power of females would be added to the box. For example, phrases such as “Build the future with me” or “I can do anything” or “Learn how engineering is awesome” might spark a sense of self-confidence in girls.

ARTISTRY

Review:

The general aesthetic of the toy is very appealing. With bright colors, removable pieces, and wall-mounted features, Polly Pocket supports its play value. The various pieces are engaging. However, it is difficult to confirm this remotely through the internet.

SAFETY

Review:

On Amazon, there were no negative reviews re: safety. Explicit instructions for safely engaging with the toy were provided in multiple locations on the product description.

I think a lot can be done to improve social interaction in e-reading experience: ways to facilitate collaborative reading in the same physical space and online, and create great content and interaction that foster parasocial relations.

Lisa Simpson seems particularly poignant as a character that informed my identity in my early life. Like the Simpsons, my family had three children, an older brother, middle child named Lisa, and a younger baby sister. I related to Lisa because we had the same names and were both full of anxiety directed towards our family culture and achievement. Different from Lisa, my older brother was naturally much smarter than me, and this became a paradigm of early childhood. We still enacted the Bart and Lisa roles from time to time, and he would also sing the “Lisa, it’s Your Birthday Song” to me on my birthday.

Runner Ups: The women of Friends, Bell from Beauty and the Beast, Ariel from the Little Mermaid, cast of Saved by the Bell.