Our Virtual World

A week or so ago, I was driving home from my Dad's house when I received a phone call from Julia.  Our conversation went something like this:

Julia: I've been online for a long time.

Me: Really, what have you been doing online?

Julia: I have been comparing prices for the Fijit Friend, and I have found that Walmart has the cheapest price.

Julia proceeded to tell me which store had the "uncheapest" price, and that one word was the only indication in this conversation that I was speaking with a seven-year-old rather than an adult.

You may be wondering what a Fijit Friend is, and I wondered until I asked Julia how she ever heard of such a thing.  Her answer was that she learned of this toy through commercials. I shared a picture above so that you can see this virtual friend that talks, dances, and "interacts" with girls.  When I arrived at home, Julia had a chart and everything and made sure we knew Walmart had the best price though they only beat Target by three cents. 

Julia first brought up Fijit Friends in August.  I read the reviews on Amazon as I do with any product and found them to be less than stellar. I hoped her longing for this toy would just go away.  Honestly, Julia loves toys that do things for about two days then they end up in a pile of junk that I rarely have time to address.  Three months later, this clearly isn't going away.  sigh

On Friday Julia had a friend sleepover, and this friend also longs for a Fijit Friend.  When Julia's friends visit, I am just stunned by the way they play.  Typically, Julia gets on a laptop while her friend uses the desktop, and they play on their Webkinz accounts. They interact verbally and virtually, but where is the box of Barbies or the dress up clothes or really anything besides a computer?  Don't get me wrong.  I love Facebook and blogging and all that jazz, but when I was Julia's age, I was all about Barbies and dolls and even board games with my friends. 

Even Savannah played with lots of imagination. I remember when she and her friends loved Little House on the Prairie and played for hours.  In fact, I believe there was a birthday or two that included a bonnet just for such times. Zach never really got into gaming because he had such limited access to it when he was little, but I am convinced that Wyatt is adicted. 

While I know that Wyatt and Julia love hanging with their friends, I am not so sure about this whole virtual world.  Anybody else out there wishing for more real play?