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The Uncanny Valley Revisited: Play with the Internet of Toys

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Book cover The Internet of Toys

Part of the book series: Studies in Childhood and Youth ((SCY))

Abstract

In this chapter, data from a study of young children’s play in the home are considered. Focusing on a child’s interaction with a robotic toy, Furby, the chapter considers the ways in which humans and machines playfully interact. Drawing on the concepts of the uncanny valley and anthropomorphism, the affective relationship between child and Furby is analysed. In the final part of the chapter, post-human philosophy is drawn upon to move beyond a human-centric perspective of play in an attempt to understand the role of the toy itself in the play episodes. This approach allows for an account of play with the Internet of Toys that pays heed to the opportunities such activities present, which may offer a counterbalance to a potential over-focus on risks.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK

    Jackie Marsh

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  1. Jackie Marsh
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Correspondence to Jackie Marsh .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Communication, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Milan, Italy

    Giovanna Mascheroni

  2. School of Arts and Humanities, Edith Cowan University, Mount Lawley, WA, Australia

    Donell Holloway

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Marsh, J. (2019). The Uncanny Valley Revisited: Play with the Internet of Toys. In: Mascheroni, G., Holloway, D. (eds) The Internet of Toys. Studies in Childhood and Youth. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-10898-4_3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-10898-4_3

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  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-10897-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-10898-4

  • eBook Packages: Social SciencesSocial Sciences (R0)

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