When today’s teenagers were still innocent and playing outside, nothing was more exciting then when their parents said the sacred words, “we are going to Toys R Us.” The anticipation grew in the child’s eyes as they dreamt about all the toys and games. But, sadly, that age of dreaming is over. Early in February of this year, Toys R Us incorporated announced that there would be around 380 store closings and layoffs could be in excess of 9,000. Sophomore Sean O’Hara is just one of the many people losing a key piece from his childhood.

“When I was younger, Toys R Us was my go to store for toys,” O’Hara said. “I was always very excited and I would act like a kid in a candy store”.

The New Jersey-based Toys R Us announced that it had filed for bankruptcy protections on January 23, 2018. A major cause for the downfall of Toys R Us is the easy accessibility of online shopping and cheaper, more convenient websites like Amazon.

“Toys R Us going bankrupt was surprising to me” O’Hara said. “It is a little upsetting to see a significant part of my childhood going away.”

21st century parents would rather stay in the security of their own homes to download games and shows on their children’s technology than go to the stores to buy physical toys. Children nowadays are more interested in technology rather than physical toys. The loss of interest in toys has pushed Toys R Us to raise their prices, now making online activities more convenient and also much cheaper.

“My little brother William is definitely a big video game guy,” O’Hara said. “He loves to play my old games on the Wii.”

The slow disappearance of the worldwide known landmark company brings with it the loss of important childhood memories and experiences for generations to come.

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