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Kids + Beer
A non-alcoholic beer targeted at Japanese kids who want to drink along with their parents - the head is formulated to behave much like its alcoholic counterpart (though I doubt if jr-kun is also taught to throw up in the gutter after catching the last train back to the Tokyo 'burbs).
Thoughts for today: cultural attitudes towards providing child-friendly copycat products versus engaging a child with the real thing. The long term effect of engaging with a category of product (in an 'reduced' form such as 'fake' beer) at an early age? Or the reverse - of keeping a product out of kids hands. And in a world of conception-to-cradle-to-grave meta data, the ability to track the effectiveness of an early exposure to a particular product category or brand. Taking it full loop, the consequences of now-grown-up kids/parents/ authorities/trade associations/companies knowing the impact of early exposure. And of course how it affects what we design/choose not to design.
Digital equivalents of kids beer?
Writing from Tokyo | May 4, 2007 | Permalink
Comments
First, let me say that I absolutely love your consistently thought-provoking blog.
Digital equivalent of kids' beer could be the moderated chat rooms for kids, that allow them to experiment with social networks in a 'safe' way. Does this help or hinder the process of developing instincts about trust online?
Posted by: Jemima at May 4, 2007 2:52 AM
My three years old daughter got an exact copy of a Samsung (sorry Jan) mobile phone from the mother of one of her school friends who works for a mobile phone company. The interesting thing is that she is 'using' her phone to setup appointments with her school friends and 'call' them after school time to 'talk' about everything. She also gets very upset when she forgets her fake mobile phone at home.
The way she is playing with her phone makes me wonder up to which extent she is copying adults attitudes and behaviours, or inventing new ways of using it (including throwing it to her brother when she feels he deserves it...)
Posted by: Albert Such at May 4, 2007 4:43 PM
> Moderated chatrooms. Does this help or hinder the process of developing instincts about trust online?
Good point. And to what extent does it affect time spent by (which) children in unmoderated online spaces?
> The way she is playing with her phone makes me wonder up to which extent she is copying adults attitudes and behaviours, or inventing new ways of using it
Probably a mixture of the two? We're looking for a new creative team member with a fresh view of the world...
Posted by: Jan at May 4, 2007 9:39 PM