Technology is omnipresent in our lives. The latest advances have become so important that societies have been forced to evolve their ethics in some aspects and begin to change numerous laws. And be clear that no area is spared. Not even toys.
Today's kids have a multitude of options when it comes to interactive toys . Nothing like previous generations.
A priori this should be something positive since the general discourse points to the fact that this type of entertainment helps to improve the education of children and contributes to their mental development.
There is no lie in these statements, but we must warn of some dangers that go unnoticed by parents.
Many of them fail to understand the security and privacy risks that some of these toys , and especially connected devices, can entail.
The era of smart toys
With Christmas just around the corner, children have already written slovenia phone number their gift lists. And they are probably full of the latest toy models, including connected devices and interactive dolls .
Parents need to be well aware of these technological gifts that come to us under innocent appearances. A great example is the Elmo love2Learn doll from Hasbro .
This comes with an app that allows for a personalized gaming experience . In this way, and through a voice recognition system, you will play with the child.
We focus on Barbie 's dream house (Mattel) Hello Barbie Dreamhouse.
A toy featuring Wi-Fi enabled Cognitoys Dino from Elemental Path powered by IBM Watson . A system that allows you to use voice commands to activate different functionalities around the house.
We do not forget that the Barbie who lives in this house has a microphone that allows her to interact with the children.
Another of the best prepared dolls in technological terms is My friend Cayla (Genesis) .
This has a built-in system that turns the toy into the child's best interactive friend, capable of offering a lot of information such as the time, so it must have some type of location component implemented.
Brands do care
The Drum has contacted these manufacturers. Mattel explains that it will follow up if it deems appropriate. In the case of Elemental Path, they explain that connected toys “offer unprecedented customization and interaction .
The latter company admits that parents do not seriously consider issues such as privacy when giving these types of toys as gifts. This is why Elemental Path requests permission to use the data, encrypts it and anonymises it for any third-party activity.
Interactive toys make many children happy and, due to their success, brands are working to take measures to ensure the safety of children.
We return to the spotlight on Cayla the doll. Genesis has developed software for her called “Violet”. A fully patented system for children that protects them from offensive or sensitive words and images.
Mattel says that playing with Hello Barbie requires an app download and Wi-Fi connection, as well as parental consent . Barbie can interact with children through a partnership with ToyTalk .
A company that receives conversations with children using voice recognition and artificial intelligence to generate increasingly tailored responses.