Lucky for me, Elmo is out, Dora is in, and I don’t have to worry about scoring one of this year’s hottest toys for my 3-year-old daughter.

Two weeks before Christmas, the much-hyped TMX Elmo is already sold out in most stores, and parents are scouring classified ads and bidding on eBay for the chance to snag one _ at several times the retail price.

The furry, red Muppet is an updated version of the Tickle Me Elmo doll that created a holiday scalping frenzy 10 years ago. When tickled on his chin, tummy or foot, TMX slaps his knee, sits on the floor and rolls around in a fit of high-pitched giggles, then stands back up and does it all again.

Children’s toys have long reflected the technology of the times; the original Tickle Me Elmo used the same motorized device that makes cell phones vibrate, and TMX uses the same kind of memory chip that runs grown-up toys such as the iPod nano.

The toymakers say it’s their job to be innovative and they use technology to enhance their products, not just for technology’s sake. But in today’s gadget-filled world, where small toys are powered by the same technology that once ran desktop computers, it is becoming increasingly difficult to differentiate between the two. When does technology truly enhance our lives, and when is it just there because it can be? Can too much technology be harmful, and if so, how much is too much?

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The pediatricians used to recommend limits on children’s daily TV time. Now, it’s "screen time," a new term created to encompass the growing number of screens in the lives of even the smallest consumers. Originally, the term referred to time spent watching TV programs and movies or playing computer and video games. But now that the screens are getting smaller, the rules are more difficult to pin down. Does the two-hour-a-day limit apply to Leap Pads and cell phones? Does watching a DVD in the minivan _ when a child wouldn’t be out getting exercise, anyway _ count?

And what about ear time? Isn’t too much listening technology just as bad for us as too much time staring at a screen? Whether it’s hands-free or hands-on, passive or interactive, using ear buds or keypads, all technology takes a toll on our senses in some way. So I wonder: Should parents be placing limits on total "tech time" _ and include not just TV, movies and games, but also interactive electronic toys and portable music players?

In our couch-potato society, the primary reason for limiting children’s TV time is to prevent obesity, but there are other issues, such as exposure to violence and marketing, and not having time for activities that engage the imagination.

As the microchips and motors get smaller and cheaper, will there come a day when kids don’t read library books, do puzzles or play hide-and-seek? Will the children of the future not know how to pretend or create?[an error occurred while processing this directive]