McDonald’s Toys Are What’s Wrong With Us

I wrote about cups in Happy Meals from McDonald’s in Cup of Crap (Thanks McDonald’s) and it got me thinking about how Happy Meal toys are a perfect example of our behavior.  I should disclose that I am a dedicated fast food slut and I love McDonald’s. It’s greasy, delicious, and good for you. That last part may or may not be true. We take our small children to McDonald’s and they all behave the same.  They are filled with excitement because all little kids love the Happy Meal and they bounce around with boundless energy. You go to the counter to order your food and they start asking what toy it is. It’s always something cool that they want so badly. They go to the display case and slobber it up and streak their little grease monster fingers all over it. Which toy is it going to be? Maybe this one! Maybe that one! Which one? You take them to wash their hands and find a table. If you are at our McDonald’s you wait forever and day until your food is ready and they bring it to your table.  The order is probably wrong and you sort that out too. You take the bagged toy out of the Happy Meal so that your little monster can focus on eating. They pester you to find out which toy it is and you show them but tell them to finish their food before they can have it. Either it’s the toy they wanted and they whine because they want it now or it’s the wrong toy and they whine because it’s not what they wanted.  You go to the counter and swap the wrong toy for the right toy. You are asked ten more times “when can I haaaave it?!?!” You repeat ten more times “when you’re done, now eat your food.” Finally, they finish and need help opening the bag. You help and they take it out. They are elated and immediately start playing with it and this toy is now the motherf!cking shiznit. “It’s so cool.” “It’s just the one I wanted.” You hear on the way out to the car and on the drive home.  Sometimes on the way home the toy loses its status and is left in the car. Sometimes the toy makes it home and is played with that night and then never again. Sometimes it takes a few hours, or even a day or two but they all meet the same fate. Every last one will be set aside, put in a drawer, or stashed in the closet and forgotten. What was once a treasure is now literally trash. What a waste right? But we all do this over and over again. We all do this with phones, laptops, and other electronics.  We do it with clothes and makeup. We do it with cars and boats. We do it with most everything we own. What I am realizing is that we don’t value anything and we teach our children to do the same. We should be teaching them to value the things they are fortunate to have and to take care of them. We need to teach them that things that are not broken do not need to be replaced. We must teach them that mindless consumerism will not bring them happiness or fulfillment. We must teach them not to toss things out for no reason.  It’s easier said than done, but I can tell you that we are working towards this and we are feeling more content and satisfied with what we have. We are saving more money than before and it’s a real satisfaction to make such strides. Less really is more.