The digitalisation of the toy market: Parents’ perspective of the anthropomorphic connected toys

Abstract : Based on a qualitative study, conducted with parents, this paper aims to explore how parents perceive the anthropomorphic connected toys and are prone to accept (or reject) this disruptive innovation. It shows that parents have difficulties in envisioning this innovation, and that the robot connected toys generate confusions and conflictual motivations. Parents do not understand to what extent they may bring about innovative changes in their children’s plays, while these connected toys question their own vision of childhood.