The Chucky era is happening and it’s coming with some gruesome news from the Google giant. We all know that childhood will never be the same, after technology made its way into innocent minds that cannot yet tell right from wrong, ready to swallow everything the virtual world has to bring to the table. Most of the times it ends badly, with children being exposed to all sorts of inappropriate materials or gadgets.
Now childhood is taken to the next level by a monster who is doing a great job in not minding its technological business and passing through a vulnerable realm.
Google has recently filed a patent for a dubious doll capable of watching and listening. The toy can basically move and comes with a microphone and camera. Also, this particular toy can interact with other media devices also, thus respond to human and media stimuli.
Say goodbye to those classic toys that kids could bring to life with the help of immense imagination. With the “help” of Google, we will have living and creepy robots disguised as teddy bears, to interact with children and respond to a various range of stimuli. This really sounds like something we only read in horror sci-fi books rather than the classic tale of a cute child and his teddy bear brought to life by interior dialogues and rich imagination.
When technology plays with adult minds, life scenarios don’t sound that bad, if we all presume that adulthood comes with responsibility and a mature mind set. When it comes to children and technology, most of the times things get out of control. Babies do not know how to differentiate what’s efficient and productive for them from what causes a harm that cannot be diminished. Toys should remain simple, sophistication comes from the mind. A simple teddy bear that doesn’t take commands can be a prince, can be an enemy, can be a friend, a character in a story that a child invents or any other living creature that takes shape in the innocent and all-encompassing brain of a kid.
If we give them robots that talk to them and take commands, those robots will remain what they are. An imitation of life toy that does what we tell it to do, this way killing all that a mind can create with the help of fantasy.
The teddy bear that Google is set to launch will be able to respond to our greetings, will turn its head to look at us and follow us through the room and will be able to communicate and respond to a wide range of questions or proposals. This is something that humans do, not teddy bears and it is dangerous for children to see that human presence can easily be replaced by a lifeless plush animal that takes commands.
We do not need toys with microphones in their ears, cameras in their eyes, speakers in their mouths and motors in their necks. The world is already full of those and already making us tired of it. So Google, stick to the projects that imply mature and adult minds and please leave childhood as innocent, creative and joyful as it is supposed to be. Children have been playing with teddy bears since forever and not one of them has ever complained that his teddy bear doesn’t respond to his or her childish, innocent and fascinating desires.
Image Source: box-life.tumblr.com
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