Yup.
An observation:
We have all this social media and social networking to keep us “more connected”, but it’s like the second picture, we’re actually becoming further disconnected from reality and more connected to this fabricated electronic “proto-existence”
I like Disneyland. Since 2006, I’ve gone at least once a year, except in 2007 when I went to Walt Disney World. For 2011/2012, we got annual passes to Disneyland. Let me focus on Disneyland since I saw the problem more there.
As many of you know, Disneyland is kind of expensive to get into. Unless you’re under 3(most people abuse that rule, waiting until the kid turns 4), everyone going through the gates is charged. Doesn’t matter if you’re old, young, pregnant, have a disability, if you’re going through the turnstiles, you’re being charged. Of course, this isn’t anything surprising, so does every place else.
What gets me was in 2006, the vast number of teenagers with their faces buried in their phones, texting and texting. I’m not sure how connected Facebook was with apps back then. I don’t know, I don’t care. In 2007, I was too busy just enjoying WDW and didn’t really observe as much texting going on. Yes, I did see some. In 2008, I got an iPhone the day before my trip to Disneyland that year, and I noticed the same thing I saw in 2006, except now I also saw kids in strollers or walking around either with cell phones texting or else with a Nintendo DS in hand, on and engaged in it. 2009 and 2010 I saw noticable increases. On my first visit in 2011, November, the same month I was informed I had been made a ForumXpert(thank you!), I was on this trip. I was also checking out the new YYE app while my wife and most of my kids(the ones who were awake) enjoyed their final ride of the trip. While using the YYE app, I responded to the news on the forum near the Small World gift shop as I awaited the return of my family. Other than that, out of necessity, I would check email a few times a day. On my other trips 3 to Disneyland in 2012, the phone was rarely outside my pocket. It was used to text and receive texts between myself and my wife so we could meet back up inside the parks when we split the group up. However, during those trips, I’ve noticed more smaller kids, teens, young adults, older adults(with and without kids) and clearly parents all more enthralled with their cell phones than the entertaining environment of Disneyland.
While I’m looking around and seeing if they’ve changed topiaries, what signs are different, what’s new, checking out the Christmas decorations, searching for hidden Mickeys, enjoying the whole environment, talking with cast members, I’m having to avoid people with their nose buried in the cell phone. People using the PhotoPass photographers, they put down the phones long enough for the picture, then when done, it’s back to the phone and meandering somewhere else through the park. I wonder how many are playing Angry Birds… no, actually, I don’t want to know.
Did I mention Disneyland sells yoyos too? Yeah. ProFly’s, ProYo’s, Butterfly’s and Imperials, all at 2-3 times YYE retail prices. Silly me, walking around the park with my DM2 on a yoyo holder clipped to my belt loop.
My vacations at Disneyland are my purposeful break from reality. I don’t want to use the phone unless I have to, and sometimes I have to.
As much as I enjoy Disneyland, we go there to be entertained. We move from location to location to be entertained in different ways. Live music, street performances, fireworks, parades, canned shows(Enchanted Tiki Room, Captain Eo, It’s Tough To Be a Bug for example), live shows, character meet and greets, thrill rides, slow dark rides, boat rides, car rides, a train ride around the park. There’s rides you get wet on, rides you can get scared on. Even interactive live shows like the Jedi Training Academy and Turtle Talk with Crush. There’s even “how to draw” sessions now, which can make even a hack like myself come up with something that doesn’t totally suck.
With yoyo, we have to put in a greater effort. We have to invest time and energy into learning a skill. Honestly, we do this to engage and entertain ourselves, and if we aren’t totally horrific, we can actually entertain others, but that’s kind of a bonus.
While video game systems come and go, people’s tastes and demands will change. I remember firing up my Genesis and loadin that up on my 50" Sony Plasma and thinking “OMG, that looks like crap”, where-as my N64, which while fared better, was still kinda sub-par. My GameCube, which is as current as I get, did look the best. Gee, no surprise there. People do expect better quality in the images.
Girls still play with dolls, the oldest toy. Yoyo refuses to die, which is good. These classic toys have stood the test of time for a reason. However, what’s going on is my generation is probably the last one that will make more of an active effort to push classic toys, hoping our kids grow up and remember those “primitive play things” and feel that “hey, these might be something MY kids would enjoy as well” when the time is appropriate.
I also feel that there is enough material and content being generated within the community to make a monthly yoyo special. Considering a regular TV show only has to fill 22 minutes with content and 3 commercial breaks, that can go fast. The show can start off with “contest results and new releases” and product reviews, as well as maybe a feature interview. The middle section can be new performance videos, be it stuff people are making or contest footage. as well as live in-studio performances(as applicable). That can be anywhere from 2-4 elements, with commentary in between. The last segment would be “learn a trick” where a guest instructor teaches one ore more tricks to a kid, group of kids, adults or mixed group. The first should would be the basics: gravity pull, sleeper and maybe rock the baby. Then, at the end, the next trick(s) would be announced, along with the recommendation for what kind of yoyo you need, that way new throwers can be prepared. End the show with credits scrolling over the instructor doing a freestyle to music. Play it once a week for a month.
Now, if the content is slow, open up the content to include spin tops(OK, maybe not the best one due to lack of constantly releasing products and lack of demonstrators), diabolo and other skill toys. Kendama is hot, dedicate a whole segment to that toy. Have magicians and illusionists teach “tricks you can do at home with stuff around the house”. Juggling, foot bags. Speed cubing. Heck, Slinky if you gotta. Viewer emails and tweets(not Craig Ferguson style, but that could be cool), trick requests. The issue is how can it be done in a manner that this would appeal to advertisers and what channel would this be most ideal for? Bravo? A&E? Nick? Disney? The Discovery channel and their network? A news network? ESPN? Can it qualify as educational and have local stations arm-wrestle to the death over it? The advantage is that the show doesn’t need to be done live. If segmented properly, it can be sliced and diced and then placed on YouTube after it’s broadcast month is over.
We’ve got a ton of material to pull from. People like JD, Andre, Dr. YoYo, Steve Brown, YYF Ben,and I’m sure dozens of others would love to contribute. Since segments can be filmed in advanced, say at contests and other gatherings, this is just an another resource to pull content from.
