TAMPA, Fla. — With the holiday season among us and Black Friday around the corner, many parents will be buying their children some of the newest and hottest toys, but, before you make your purchases, you’re going to want to listen to read this.
“Toys are supposed to bring fun and joy, not tragedy,” said Congresswoman Kathy Castor at a press conference at St. Joseph’s Children's Hospital. However, sometimes toys do bring tragedy.
According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, about 206,000 children in the United States were treated for toy-related injuries in 2021.
Every year, the Public Interest Research Groups releases a list called Trouble In Toyland. The report highlights some of the most dangerous and risky toys to get your children.
“There’s choking hazards, button batteries, water beads,” said Rep. Castor.
This year, the report is focusing on intelligent toys that have microphones, cameras, and trackers. Think video games where your child could be playing with a stranger and virtual reality glasses, all of which, have the potential to put your children’s privacy at risk.
Rep. Castor said Congress needs to move forward on legislation that would better protect the privacy of children.
“It is of the first order of business, understanding the invasive ways and insidious ways these online companies try to gather personal information from our children. We need to update the law to protect, not only their physical health but their mental wellbeing, too,” said Rep. Castor.
“The more screen time that they’re exposed to, they could be at risk of depression. They could be at risk of anxiety,” said Tracey Kaly, mental health specialist at BayCare Behavioral Health.
Kaly said that an increased risk of depression and anxiety could come from children comparing themselves to what they’re seeing on their screens.
“What I would recommend to parents is really talk to your kids and understand what they’re doing. How much time they’re spending online or with screens or with devices and what are they doing in that time,” said Kaly.
However, Kaly said not all screen time is bad.
“If they’re doing something that’s constructive, looking up a recipe or planning a family outing or video chatting with a relative, that’s a more constructive use of online time,” said Kaly.
