Etch-a-Sketch: From Top Toy to Nostalgia
Nostalgia hit hard here at Tech Square ATL (TSQATL) Social Club, as we recently learned the company Ohio Art – the creator of the infamous Etch-a-Sketch – was founded on October 6 in 1908 – which is just a few short days away (and yes, some years ago).
With that discovery, we decided to take a look into how the Etch-a-Sketch has become what it is today (AKA, it’s STILL a popular toy!) and also look into the meaning of nostalgia and why we have certain feelings when it comes to objects that remind us of our past.
The neuropsychiatric understanding of nostalgia is that “rather than seeing the past for what it really is, we see it as an agglomeration of various memories, filtering out the negative memories and integrating the positive ones which then creates nostalgia.” In layman's terms, nostalgia is a sentimental yearning for the happiness of a former place or time.
The feeling of nostalgia can be caused by multiple things (in our case, a childhood toy), bringing back happy memories of simpler times.
The popular 1960s toy was first called “L’Ecran Magique” (the magic screen), which was invented by electrical technician André Cassagne and showcased at the International Toy Fair in Germany, in 1959.
When first introduced, the toy wasn’t a success. Manufacturers didn’t want to pick up the product and believed Cassagne wanted too much money for the idea. That’s when Ohio Art Company decided to invest $25,000 into the project and renamed it Etch-a-Sketch. Later that year, mass production began. Due to the large amounts of advertising, Etch-a-Sketch became the must-have toy in the 1960s.
In a new technological era, where kids are constantly playing with tablets or watching YouTube, it is mind-blowing to see a toy that doesn’t connect to WI-FI, doesn’t have bluetooth capabilities, and doesn’t have batteries be as relevant as it is today.
It also gives parents a chance to relive childhood memories and feel nostalgic.
If you’ve owned an Etch-a-Sketch, you know how incredibly difficult it was to draw something, but some people are able to make real masterpieces with the iconic toy.
Interested in creating your own masterpiece? Join us in the Centergy Lobby on Tuesday, October 6 at 8:30 a.m. to test your drawing skills on an actual Etch-a-Sketch for a chance to win a prize! Learn more about the Coffee Talk here.
DID YOU KNOW?
The Etch-a-Sketch is completing 60 years in 2020.
What are some games from your childhood that cause nostalgia? Let us know in the comments below.