People Are Calling Out Adult Consumers Who "Ruined" These Things For Kids, And Whew, They Didn't Hold Back
Recently, Redditor u/opposeThem asked, "What was meant for kids but adult consumers hijacked it and ruined it?" People shared tons of "kids" things that were ruined by adult consumers, and they made some solid points. Here's what they had to say:
1."Squishmallows. People have been trying to resell these LITERAL STUFFIES for three times the price online."
2."After-school hobbies! Around the age of 47, I decided to pick up guitar again. So, I went to a local school and enrolled as an adult. I would see parents harassing their kids and berating them for not being better."
"I think the majority of them have lost the idea that extracurricular activities are to help your child out of their shell and also to have fun — not to make them a professional of any sort or the best of the best of the best."
3."Every card hobby. It’s literally just about prices now."
"As a Yu-Gi-Oh! enjoyer, I thoroughly agree. It's always been about prices for the rare cards, but there are a lot more flippers than ever before."
"My 12-year-old has kind of enjoyed Yu-Gi-Oh! — definitely the shows, and he's always messed with the cards, kind of making up his own version and enjoying the art. He decided this year to really learn it and play it, so we found a card shop, got some starter deck advice, and boom — done. He's the only kid in the room. By more than a decade. I'm closer in age to most of his group mates than he is. He got a pack in the tournament, as apparently you do, and pulled a card. 'Whoa, that's a $40 card!' some guy said. I know, with certainty, that had I not been there, somebody would have screwed him out of it."
4."As a Pokémon collector, I would say Pokémon. I stick to vintage Pokémon — they're the cards I grew up with and hence have nostalgia for. My cards are older than kids. That being said, I don't think adults have any business hogging the modern cards and ruining it for the kids. That's pretty low."
"Kids couldn't go to Walmart to get their Pokémon cards because 30-something-year-old grown-up men would dive through the doors as soon as the new stock hit to shovel them into their carts for scalping."
"Scalpers were so down horrendous, they were raiding McDonald's during the pandemic for the 25th-anniversary cards."
5."Beanie Baby collectors."
"I remember when it all got wild. I worked next door to a Hallmark store, and there was a group of older ladies who waited at the door every release day. They were only allowed to buy two of each, and they always knew the names of them. They’d often bring extra people if they wanted more than the limit. It was ridiculous! Those poor Hallmark employees couldn’t unbox them fast enough."
6."YouTube content creation — not to say the medium is strictly for kids, obviously, but family channels have essentially monetized their childhoods when those same kids could have just as likely decided to make their own content when they got older and weren’t obligated to participate in being filmed."
"Having no choice in the matter probably takes the fun right out of it. Not to mention growing up and coming to realize it’d all been for your parents' monetary gain."
"Parents who film their kid’s lives for likes and subs are awful."
7."Youth sports. When I was a kid 30 years ago, you’d have a practice or two a week, plus a game on Saturday. Then, if you loved sports, you’d get together with buddies in your ample free time and mess around playing super fun pickup games. Now, many kids are having full weekend tournaments, like, every weekend. And tons of practices. They rarely have the free time to just play with their friends for the fun of it."
"Sure, they are better athletes than we were, but are they better off?"
8."Hot Wheels. Worst memory I have at Comic-Con. An exhibitor gave a kid what must’ve been an exclusive at their booth. Then, there were grown men rushing and crowding the kid, pressuring him to sell his toy. His parents moved him away promptly, but I imagine he was shaken up by the experience. Went from a cool moment of unexpectedly getting a toy to grown weirdos getting in his face."
9."Ball pits. I used to work at Chuck E. Cheese 20 years ago around the time when they discontinued them in every store. It's wild seeing that adults would throw dirty diapers and trash in there when they could have AT LEAST just left it on their table."
"We would even have to wash every ball once a week through a special rack and run it through our dishwasher. Let me tell you, you can fill up over five large trash bins a week, and it's just purely disgusting how often kids throw up or make accidents in there with no report. I was so happy that they discontinued them, but at the same time, it did suck that they're not a thing anymore."
10."Getting autographs from Disney Characters. My 4-year-old kid was knocked to the ground by a bunch of adult tourists who climbed over the rope to get an autograph of Sleeping Beauty. To get an autograph of an unknown woman. In a costume. Of an imaginary character. From a fairy story."
11."Getting autographs from athletes at games."
12."Young adult books. I'm an adult who reads them. But the characters are TEENAGERS. People get upset that teenagers act like teenagers, in books targeted at...you guessed it, teenagers."
"I'm always amused by Goodreads reviews on YA books where they're like, 'The characters were immature!' Well, yeah — they're, like, 13. That's actually part of why I like YA. Characters make dumb decisions, but it's part of their growth and they come out better for it. In adult books, when the characters do something stupid, I'm like, 'You're 40! Why are you acting like this???'"
13."I would say the collectibles market as a whole. I love collecting Transformers, but anytime I want to get the hot, new figures, everyone and their mother has already preordered five each to scalp, and the preorder sells out literally seconds after it starts. I just want my goofy, robot toy — can you kindly f*** off?"
"Action figures. I think it’s fine for adults to buy them. But why do they buy ALL of them and then re-sell them for hundreds of dollars? I can’t even afford them, and I have a job. How are kids supposed to be able to play with them?"
14."Last week, I was having a yard sale. I always do these big plastic tubs of cheap little toys for the kids. It's not really worth much, but the kids love digging in it. I sell the items for 50 cents an item or fill a bag for $7. Keeps the kids busy so their parents can shop, and it's a great deal. But so many adults kept digging in it being greedy and taking the fun away from the kids. I also had several adults offer to buy the bins and would not take no for an answer. I would tell them over and over, 'It doesn't have a monetary value; it's for the kids.'"
"Adults are really selfish and just don't think of the kids anymore."
15."My Little Pony. I watched it with my sister growing up. At one point, we watched a video of a Comic-Con or some other panel. A bunch of sweaty dudes were asking questions one after another. Then, the sweetest little girl who was being encouraged by her dad stepped up to the microphone and very timidly (but bravely) asked about one of her favorite characters."
"The scoffing and jeers coming from the crowd for the little girl not already knowing some fandom trivia was disgusting. Had I been the father that day, I would have taken the mic and given them an earful."
And finally...
16."Disney in general. Disney adults are wild. Some are wild, and it only affects them — that's fine. But some will buy out all of a certain product just to resell them. They also whine more than kids trying to get what they want, and sometimes even push kids out of the way to get what they want. I don't care if you're a Disney adult, have fun with it if you wish. But don't be an a-hole."
WOW. What are some other things meant for kids that adult consumers have ruined? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.
