NORFOLK, Va. — We’re nearing Black Friday and holiday shopping season, and as you're looking for deals in store and online, be wary of unsafe toys.
The Public Interest Research Group advocates for consumer well-being and every year puts together the "Trouble in Toyland Report," which looks at toys that could be unsafe for kids.
This year, watchdogs say AI is reshaping playtime as toys with AI chatbots encourage more lifelike conversations with kids than ever before.
"The fact is, we won't really know what the long-term impacts of ‘AI friends’ might be until the first generation of kids playing with them get older," said Lillian Tracy with the U.S. PIRG Education Fund.
"The main difference between these new AI toys and the talking toys of the past is that a lot of those talking toys had pre-programmed responses to questions. AI toys though, they can give you a different answer to the same question over and over," Tracy said.
PIRG’s report says,
“In our testing, it was obvious that some toy companies are putting in guardrails to make PAGE 2 their toys behave in a more kid-appropriate way than the chatbots available for adults. But we found those guardrails vary in effectiveness – and at times, can break down entirely. One toy in our testing would discuss very adult sexual topics with us at length while introducing new ideas we had not brought up – most of which are not fit to print.”
According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, toys were most recalled this year because they were choking hazards or contained high-powered magnets or button batteries.
"Button batteries, if swallowed, can get lodged in the esophagus and burn through tissues in as little as two hours -- and [if they are caught in] the nose or the ear, they can also cause serious burns and damage," said Dr. Katie Donnelly, an emergency medicine physician at Children's National Hospital.
"Preventing injury is deeply important to me as a new parent, figuring out how to safely entertain my 14-month-old has also become increasingly important," Donnelly added.
You can check recalls at CPSC.gov. Every Thursday, the organization releases the latest recalls.
PIRG also says not all toys coming into our country are safe either. Do you know the popular Labubu dolls? Thousands of counterfeit ones have been confiscated this year, so make sure you're getting something that's legit.
This year, check for recalls, buy from reputable stores, read reviews and be cautious of shipping times.
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