Zap Stick
Well before most kids’ wish-lists reached Santa, some kids’ lists were hopping around on a personalized web-site.
Technology is leaping ahead and Fastfrog.com’s Zapstick is one of the most recent examples. It records UPS codes and sends them to the web-site. Once uploaded, it becomes a wish-list for everyone to see.
“It’s nice to zap things that you like, just so everyone has an idea,” said Kristen, a 17 year-old zapper.
While the zap of the frog and a click of the mouse may make the gift guess work easier for friends and family, some experts worry about the materialistic repercussions of a child zapping anything and everything desirable.
“I think it’s teaching children that it’s about getting exactly what you want, and that if you don’t get exactly what you want, you’re supposed to be disappointed,”said Ken Hoats, LCSW.
“When you know exactly what you want, then you kind of expect that, and so when you don’t get that it’s a let down,” said Darby, 17.
The Zapstick is currently in a few select trial markets, but is expected to hit malls in early 2000.
What Parents Should Know
If the Zapstick turns out to be a hot item, keeping a child from zapping could turn a parent from a prince to a toad, but parents do need to make sure that kids know it isn’t a magic wand.
Ken Hoats recommended parents make sure that kids keep the Zapstick in perspective. “Go out. Play with it. Do it. But, don’t expect that you’re gonna get everything that you’ve registered for,” he said.
With each passing year, society tends to drift a little further from the “true mean ing” of the holiday season, Hoats said. The Zapstick has the tendency to reiterate the materialism in a society that seems to be forgetting the spirit of Christmas. Holiday excitement should be captured through spending time with family and friends, not counting the presents under the tree.
A Zapstick used to help grandma figure out that you no longer shop in the pre-teen section and to convince Aunt Edna that you don’t need another pair of socks is one thing, and parents should remind their kids not to lose sight of the thought behind gift giving.
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“I think it’s teaching children that it’s about getting exactly what you want, and that if you don’t get exactly what you want you’re supposed to be disappointed,” -- Ken Hoats, LCSW.
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A Christmas Registry? Though the Zapstick is the newest and most technical way to register for gifts, it’s not the only way. Many stores allow kids to register, much like a bride-to-be, for gifts that they would like. Again, it could be a helpful tool, but equating an annual holiday with something as intimate as marriage is taking the gift aspect further than some experts recommend parents should allow.
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Zapper Clappers The kids that had the privilege of being Zapstick “guinea pigs” loved the little green machine. They felt that it would make life for Mom, Dad and Grandma a lot easier by saving them time and guesswork. They said that grandparents would likely benefit the most, because grandparents were the ones that tended to have more trouble when it came to choosing gifts. The majority of the kids interviewed said that it was fun and exciting to zap, but were not over zealous about getting everything, or even most, of the items they zapped. Hopefully, this attitude will remain constant when kids across the nation get their hands on the shopper hopper. |
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