Synthetic Products

[moonfroggy]

virtual pets vs real live animals

[NbyNW]

There are also natural and synthetic dyes and pigments

and bristles in hair brushes and paint brushes

[Irulan]

I wouldn't call food substitutes synthetic, per se...they aren't really made of synthetic ingredients, just highly-processed ones with little nutritional value (or downright healthy). Different than a comparison of sugar vs. artificial sweeteners, which are entirely of synthetic chemical. HFCS is still natural sugar, just not a healthy natural. Nutrasweet is not natural.

The theatre/movie thing is a cool comparison, though. That could even be a discussion of 3D/tangible vs. 2D/intangible.

You think 10 year olds will get the differences on food?

[GLC1968]

Kirsten made a really good point on the Wii. I mean, I think about my husband's son being here for a visit last month (he's 16, but still)...he would rather have stayed indoors playing video games than going outside and doing the real thing. Of course, that's bluring the lines between 'synthetic' and 'reality'...so you may not want to venture there.

Or, again based on this past visit....text vs live conversations.

[zoom-zoom]

You think 10 year olds will get the differences on food?

They might...10 year olds are pretty smart. My kid has some serious evil-genius moments that kinda scare me!

[Zen]

Sports drinks

[marni]

movies in a theater vs films on cd
radio stations vs sirius radio
am/vs fm
regualr clocks with normal numbers vs digital
cameras with real fil vs digital
ditto tv vs digital
reg milk vs almond, soy whatever milk

marni

[rubywagon]

reg milk vs almond, soy whatever milk

Almond and soy milk are natural though.

[channlluv]

Along the same lines as the Wii Sports: Guitar Hero vs a real guitar.

My daughter was trying to play Guitar Hero at one of those store displays in Best Buy one day and my husband, who was in several bands when he was younger and has taught her to play some on her own baby Martin (purchased for her last summer by my father, the blues musician) and her own electric guitar (bought by dad), was laughing. "Why would you want to play this when you could go home and play the real thing?" She was bored with the game in minutes, but the two of them play music together for an hour or more several times a week.

Roxy