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Momsrising.org
Which toys are safe? Find out while shopping, via txt -- no thanks to any mainstream news org. |
Did you shop for any toys this season? With toxic toy headlines everywhere, it was a challenge. The
Chicago Tribune covered the topic in print and online, as did many other news organizations. But did their coverage do all that it could to generate interest and interaction with their audiences? Stepping into "
txting" might be the next big thing for 2008.
I harbor vivid memories of toy hunting at Toys R Us, mall toy stores, Target, and the rest of the "Big Box" stores, and my little darlings are now twenty-somethings. I was one of those moms who read labels, avoided red dye, yellow dye, and usually opted for wood, wool, or cotton instead of plastic. Time is always scarce for moms, and finding the right, safe toy is a day-killer.
Momsrising.org, an advocacy group that covers a range of family-friendly issues such as parental leave time, flexible work, after-school programs -- and now, safe toys -- joined up with Healthytoys.org this holiday season to give conscientious moms a break this year.
Healthytoys.org features an online database with more than 1,200 brand-name toys that were tested for "common chemicals." You can search from their site, but Momsrising.org added a feature that I suspect will be on the leading edge of what we will see in technology in 2008. It's an SMS text number to call and query the database. Within a minute or so, you get a text response about the toy you've asked about: a brief analysis of the toy, if it is in their database.
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Now I see myself rushed in the toy store, kid fussing in a cart, realizing that I can check a toy with just a couple of thumb clicks. Eureka! I text, I save time, and I probably will return frequently to the site that made this possible.
Teens are all over texting. In the U.S., texting (or SMS) has not caught on with other consumers whose demographics are important to newspapers and other mainstream media. Circulation and audience counts, moms included.
Most moms don't use SMS much (yet), but all it may take to reach a tipping point is useful application or use of the technology and a positive experience. I set up the "healthytoys" texting and tried it out with "Barbie" and got a less-than-complete response. I wasn't going to write about the site, but within a day, I got a follow-up e-mail asking me about my experience. They gave me a few additional tips about searching. It isn't perfect yet, but I will use it as I finish my last-minute shopping.
Too bad the Trib hadn't thought of this or I'd be "txting" them too on my toy quest.
Also, the New York Times recently ran a story about "pet parents" and the harmful effects of lead on pets. One "flick" for a chick could mean death. Pet owners like this one profiled in the Times are willing to spend money testing pet toys for lead. Yet another group of potential SMS texting customers for a publication with a good database and mobile sensibility to engage.
