THE INTERNET OF TOYS: WHO’S IN CHARGE?
Anne Peetoom (1971) is an independent investigative journalist and a mother.
She loves playing games, collects board games and lives as much as possible outdoors.
She does this with her partner, three daughters and some pets of different sizes.
Anne sees a story in everything. Being an investigative journalist and a storyteller, she made social problems of children accessible to a wide audience on Dutch television. Impactful documentaries, based on stories of people’s daily lives.
She also talks about the social and cultural impact of ‘The Internet of Toys’.
Toys connected to the internet are fun, new, educational, complex and… potentially very dangerous. As a game fanatic she finds the new possibilities of connected toys amazing. But as a mother she sometimes worries: what do my daughters learn from connected toys? How do they change the way they play? Are they safe? Which digital skills do parents need to keep up? And perhaps the most important question: who’s the boss?
The child or the toy?
Anne believes that every parent should at least think about these developments, and make a decision: do I interfere and stay informed and connected or do I give my children complete freedom to explore playing with connected toys themselves?