If you remember trawling through the Argos catalogue and painstakingly writing each item and page number of the toy you wanted in a polite letter to Santa, you might be surprised by how Christmas lists have evolved in the digital age.
Forget the handwritten Christmas list of yesteryear, tech-savvy kids are upping the ante when it comes to asking Santa (or their parents) for pressies. And it’s safe to say we feel like absolute dinosaurs.
The youngest generation – mainly teens and tweens – are resorting to pitching their Christmas lists via elaborate Powerpoint presentations streamed onto the living room TV.
Parents have been sharing videos of their children’s presentations on TikTok, with some clips racking up millions of views – and one resounding theme is that these kids have expensive taste.
In one video, a teenager can be seen showcasing several slides with multiple options their parents can choose from.
One slide features three similar grey hoodies with the one they definitely want appearing with a bright red square around it. On another page, there are some Ugg slippers and boots, and in the stocking fillers section there’s a Van Cleef bracelet (which retails at about £4,000).
In another clip, a child asks for Nike trainers, a Stanley cup, a selection of gift cards as well as some beads to make bracelets and a Squishmallow toy.
She then reaches the technology page where she asks for a Macbook Air, an Apple pen, iPad and headphones – ouch.
Another video sees a nine-year-old share her presentation, complete with a table of contents in which she sets out what the slides are about with the subheads: my top gifts, other gifts, prices, total and thank you.
Her slightly more realistic wish list consists of a lunchbox, Nerd sweets, a nightstand organiser and some perfume. She also requests, in her ‘other gifts’ section, some moisturiser, an Apple watch charger and a stylus.
“And the grand total is... $87 without tax,” she reveals excitedly. Before ending with a slide that says: “Thank you for watching. Hope you enjoyed.” She also, rather adorably, gives herself a clap.
Sheryl Ziegler, a psychologist and author of Mommy Burnout, told Today.com these presentations are basically modern day letters to Santa.
“It’s not so different than when (older generations) circled expensive items in catalogues with markers,” she said.
As with anything, there are pros and cons to this kind of tactic. The presentations can save parents a lot of time and they’re helping kids hone their communication and pitching skills, but there’s also potential for them to go a bit overboard with their requests. Not to mention it all becoming very transactional.
Ziegler suggested to offset expectations, kids could also write traditional Santa letters explaining why they want particular presents and highlighting their good deeds from the past year.
Good luck to all the parents reining in their Powerpoint-proficient tweens this Christmas.