Lego unveiled its latest range of ‘Lego Friends’ last month, featuring new variations on the classic chunky figurine. Each of these new ‘authentic, interesting’ characters comes with its own backstory, designed to be ‘inclusive of gender, culture, ethnicity, physical traits and abilities, non-visible disabilities and neurodivergence’, according to a Lego press release.

One, we learn, has ADHD, while others ‘struggle with anxiety’. None of this is apparent from the designs alone, which raises the obvious question: what is even the point of including these ‘non-visible disabilities’?

It doesn’t even make sense on the level of toys. Kids don’t need to be told the backstory of their play characters – the whole point is that they use their own imagination. It makes you wonder if the people at Lego have children, or have ever seen a child play with Lego.

[Adults are hijacking childrens’ worlds, in school and play, to push their own agendas. There’s nothing wrong with a variety of skin tones for these pieces, but pushing these back-story narratives is all about virtue signaling for the adults, not fun or learning for the children. — Ed]