What is the deal with Pokemon (or Digimon or any other fad characters for very young children)?
There are three reasons that children are drawn to characters like Pokemon. First is the perennial appeal of characters who appear to be weak but have hidden sources of power. Kids, who live in a world of powerful giants are drawn to stories of transformations and secret strength, from Clark Kent who is secretly Superman on through the Transformers, Ninja Turtles, and Power Rangers. Next, the many facts to memorize about Pokemon give children a chance to master something that is vastly beyond the ability of adults, giving them a sense of power and competence. Finally, as children start to develop social skills, fads like Pokemon provide a shared language outside the adult world that can help those conversations and imaginative games get started, training wheels for early social interactions. Older kids will do the same with sports, rock, and movie stars or fictional characters from “Star Wars,” “Star Trek,” “Lord of the Rings,” etc.
