Barbie Phone: Reflection of the Dream World

The long-awaited day has finally arrived for the fans of the iconic Barbie toys, which portray life to a segment of society, especially young girls, as “constantly shopping, making friends envious, styling hair, dressing up, doing makeup, and finding a husband named Ken.” Barbie, revolving around themes of hair styling, makeup, dressing up, and showing off to make friends envious, has received great attention worldwide. As part of this interest, Human Mobile Devices (HMD), better known as Nokia, announced the launch of the eagerly awaited phone for the millions of Barbie fans who are curious about the flip phone shown in the movie.

Customers in the U.S. will be able to pre-order this special phone starting September 23, with the first units set to be shipped on October 1. For Barbie fans in Australia, the pre-order date has been set for September 5. This phone is not just a means of communication; it is a reflection of the imagination present in the Barbie world.

Unnecessary Waste of the World’s Precious Resources

The new flip phone features a 2.8-inch inner screen, a 0.3 MP camera with flash, and a 1.77-inch clock display on a mirrored outer surface. Priced at $129, the manufacturer refers to this phone as a “smartphone.” However, this is not a smartphone in the traditional sense; it does not have systems like Android or iOS. In reality, this phone is merely a simple communication device that can take and store photos.

This product, which will allow young girls who aspire to be like the Barbie toy to constantly style their hair and do makeup, chase after showing off to make friends envious, and live a fantasy of finding a husband named Ken instead of pursuing education and a career, also brings with it a deep criticism. What is even more thought-provoking is that many adults are likely to line up to buy this phone. This situation highlights how deeply society has fallen into a culture of consumption.