A child scampers through the freshly fallen snow at the heart of NYC. Her eyes light up at the sight of a tin soldier wearing a coquelicot uniform with glossy black boots. He smiles- opens the door to the world’s most iconic toy store. It is impossible to forget the face of wonder a child makes when she faces the magic and joy of holiday toys.

Every year, millions of people around the world go out when the holidays come around to buy gifts. The average American adult in 2015 spends approximately $880 on presents alone compared to $420 in 2009. This increase in spending is primarily caused by a parent’s pressure to purchase the most wanted gifts on the market.

From technology to toys, so much has changed from 1929 to 2015. But, the one thing that hasn’t changed is the pressure a child faces to feel accepted. Every year, there is a new toy that everybody ‘needs’ to have. In 1929, it was the Duncan Yo-Yo because a bellhop was seen playing a game with an object on a string. In 1943, it was the Slinky after a Marine dropped a spring off of his desk and it continued to topple down the stairs. Mr. Potato head filled store shelves in 1952. Yet, only accessories for that toy were sold because until 1965, toy companies encouraged children to use an actual potato. This was also the first toy that was commercialized on television. In 1975, purchasers literally hit rock bottom when Dahl’s pet rock was introduced to stores. It included a cardboard pet carrier and a 32-page training manual on how to care for your pet. 1989 was a year for technology when the first Game Boy came out. 1996 was the year of the Tickle Me Elmo. At the turn of the century, it was the legendary Razor Scooter. This toy won the Toy of the Year award for ‘Classic Mode of Transportation.’

All of these famous toys had one thing in common- they were desired by almost child in America and around the world. This dire need for a toy is born out of the necessity for a kid to feel accepted in school or any other social environment.

Many parents across the country spend more money on presents a year than they do putting away money for a child’s college fund. Overspending on luxury items, such as frivolous gifts, is in fact, one of the main causes of undergraduates having to take out student loans in college. So, next time you reach for that Tickle Me Elmo doll in the store, ask yourself,

Harvard…? Or Elmo…?