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Tuesday, March 19, 2024
March 19, 2024

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Study: In arms race for kids’ attention, Lego gets more violent

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Legos are often used to teach children how to identify primary colors. Kids also use the plastic blocks to build miniature homes, robots and cars. And increasingly children start miniature conflicts with the tiny toys.

That’s according to University of Canterbury researchers in New Zealand, who found that kids who play with Legos “showed significant exponential increases of violence over time.”

Lego, which launched its building-block game sets in Denmark in 1949, did not introduce weapons to its toy collections until 1979. Even then, the weapons primarily belonged to themed castle kits, which allowed children to play with miniature swords and other medieval weapons.

But according to the researchers, that has changed over time. Thirty percent of Lego sets now include weapons, and the scenes they allow children to create are more violent than ever. Today, many sets have been inspired by pop culture, including Star Wars and Harry Potter, which helped rescue the struggling company after it took a major hit in the early 2000s with the rise of computer and video games.

“The violence in Lego products seems to have gone beyond just enriching game play,” said Canterbury researcher Christoph Bartneck.

According to his study, which was published in the online journal PLOS ONE, Lego has likely increased the level of violence in its toy sets “to catch the attention of their customers.”

“Toy manufacturers are similarly locked in a metaphorical arms race for exciting new products,” the study said.

It’s working for Lego. Last year, the company made a record $1.4 billion. And Lego spokesman Troy Taylor told Agence France-Presse that Lego encourages a variety of themes to children’s play, and conflict is a part of that.

“As with other play types, conflict play is a natural part of a child’s development,” Taylor said. “We always try and use humor where possible, as it helps tone down the level of conflict.”

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