Children's play has been a topic of contested debate for many years. On the one side, people don't believe that dolls and toys have an effect on children's social and emotional development. On the other side, researchers find that toys do have an impact on children's development. Toys are certainly part of a process called gender role socialization, in which children learn behavior and attitudes considered appropriate regarding their assigned sex at birth.
Mattel, the creators of the classic contested hyper-feminine doll, Barbie, are switching things up. They've just released gender-inclusive dolls so that children can write their own scripts.