Psychology of the Claw

Have you ever tried to win something from one of those machines with the claw?  Doesn't it get infuriating sometimes?

I gave up on those efforts years ago because, try as I might, I just didn't win anything.  I'd rather get candy from a quarter machine - you know, something that's a sure bet.  But unfortunately, at our local grocery store, there is a claw machine right by the exit after you check out. Anna always wants to look at it, and sometimes we do, and I always tell her I'm not even going to try to win a toy because it's futile.

Photo from www.geekation.com

That is, until The Minion came along.

Anna and I are both huge fans of the movie Despicable Me and its sequel. The stories are hysterical, and the minions are adorable.  I probably let us get McDonald's way more times in the several weeks they were giving out minions in happy meals than I had in the entire previous year.  You've gotta collect them all, right?

Well, now the happy meal minions are gone.  Except, there was one little guy in the claw machine at the store.  His wide, bespectacled eyes rose slightly above all the other (not very interesting) toys in the machine, staring me down for weeks.  Anna always asked to try and I always said no because, unless this is Toy Story and the machine is full of little aliens, you won't win. That was my story, and I stuck to it.

"The Claw is our master.  The Claw decides who will stay and who will go!" - Toy Story
(photo from those guys.tv)

Until the other night, when I finally broke down.  As we checked out with our groceries, I asked the cashier for a dollar of my change to be four quarters so we'd get two tries at the machine.  I told her I was going to teach my kid that you can never win at those machines.

The first time I tried, the claw gripped the stuffed minion enough to move him slightly.  I was hopeful, but frustrated.  I tried again.  It touched him but slipped off quickly.

I wasn't giving up.

Noticing that the machine took dollar bills, I dug in my pockets for a dollar.  Two more tries.  The first time, I moved him again.  Anna wanted to try but I said no. I was bound and determined to get that toy if it took my remaining several dollars.  And on the last try, I did it.

"YES!" I said loudly, raising both my arms, exhilarated by my little victory.  "I got him!"

By this time, some of the cashiers were watching us.  Yes, it was a slow night at the grocery store, but I could tell that they were also amused by our unrelenting efforts.  Anna then exclaimed, "My mom got the minion!" several times.  The nearest cashier gave us a thumbs up.

I was ready to leave, basking in my triumph, when Anna then asked me to try and win Curious George. Sadly, I was out of cash, and she was upset.

That frustrated me.  I said, "Aren't you happy I got the minion? You never win at those and I won!"  Seriously, why wasn't that good enough?

Perhaps that's the problem with the claw machines.  Don't get me wrong, it's great for kids to get the message that if something seems within reach, and you try hard enough, you can get it.  But it also feeds into the psychology of "more, more, more" that drives our children's brains - and our society, too, it seems.

Once the initial thrill wears off, one minion (or insert just about anything else) is not enough.  We must have more.  That feeling of never being satisfied with what you have creeps in, and when you get down to it, if you get caught up in that mindset, nothing will ever satisfy you, no matter how awesome it is.

I admit I got caught up in it too.  I wanted that thing for Anna. I had limited myself to two tries and didn't stick to my own limit. I kept going because I wasn't satisfied with not having anything, just as Anna wasn't satisfied with only having one thing.

No, I'm not advocating that claw machines be removed from stores. This was a fun and innocent experience.  I'm just saying that perhaps I should go back to ignoring them, since they're just another symptom of a problem we all grapple with to some degree.  I should try harder in general to be satisfied with what I have, and I'm sure a lot of people are in that aspirational boat with me. It's easier said than done, but I'm confident....

....except now the grocery store machine has a minion pillow.....how cool is that?!

Photo from www.liupis.com