At $ 1,495 – not including the monthly fee of $ 39 to watch video lessons – Peloton’s glorified stationary bike was widely dragged like a toy of the rich. But now he faces stiff competition for the most heinous product of all time, this time from Little Tikes. CNN reported that the toy maker decided to capitalize on the soaring pandemic sales of candle status symbols with something no one literally asked for: a Platoon kiddie.

Dubbed “the Pelican,” the stationary bike for ages three to seven even has a screen for watching videos, just like the adult version. CJ Rich from Florida bought a children’s stationary bike for his now six-year-old son because he thought it would help them bond, according to CNN. “I thought it would be great for him to have something to copy me,” he said. You kids too can spend your free time pedaling on the spot while glued to a screen, just like daddy.

Child development experts share my skepticism. They pointed out to CNN that stationary biking doesn’t teach the same social and problem-solving skills as old-fashioned biking. “A stationary bike doesn’t prepare them for anything other than moving their legs in a circular motion,” said Lenore Skenazy, president of Let Grow, a nonprofit that promotes the education of independent and resilient children. .

If I look old and cranky, it’s because I sort of am. As a Millennial elder who cares that my generation is the last to grow up playing outside, I don’t think just because we’ve turned into screen-obsessed hermits doesn’t mean our kids have to. The euphoria of biking in the neighborhood is one of the few joys of childhood that hasn’t been touched by technology.

In addition, the Peloton not only carries the antisocial technology of adulthood, but also body awareness. While many of us use fitness equipment for the mental and physical health benefits, let’s face it: many of us also do it for the physique it promises. Indeed, Jason Boye, a pediatric psychologist at the Healthy Weight and Wellness Clinic at Nemours Children’s Hospital in Delaware, told CNN that such products could lead children to view physical activity as something that they “must” do. But they should run – or ride – because it’s fun, not because they feel the need to be thin, thick, or bloated.

Mike Bloomfield, vice president of product development at Little Tikes, said he doesn’t think the Pelican will replace regular bikes, according to CNN, and that he shouldn’t. Either way, it sounds like another example of capitalism creating a problem that doesn’t even exist. We can already buy bicycles for children, bicycles that do not expose them to the collective discomfort of our generation.