I think it's sometimes just that people want to gift things that they are comfortable about buying. I would struggle to buy plastic toys nowadays, although my own children had lots of Fisher Price things that will now probably clog up landfill somewhere for 500 years or so.
I don't think I'm particularly 'woke', but then I always saw 'politically correct' as a sneering term for 'politeness', so I may not be the best one to judge
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I agree about the travel to 'experiences', though. They can turn a thoughtful present into an expensive inconvenience if the sender isn't careful. I've been lucky this year, though. I got some vouchers for my hairdresser and book tokens, which will come in really handy, as I am taking creative writing course. The only 'experience' gift I got that was a bit off the mark is an afternoon tea voucher for a (lovely) local place that is off the beaten track, and as I don't drive I will have to take my diabetic husband, who won't be able to eat the cakes.