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Chinese storytelling machines deliver inappropriate content to kids in Vietnam

Chinese storytelling machines deliver inappropriate content to kids in Vietnam

Friday, August 07, 2015, 16:03 GMT+7

Numerous storytelling machines sold in Vietnam as kid’s toys have recently been found containing inappropriate content, including sex and drugs.

The machines, many of which are Chinese-made, are easily found at many kid’s toy shops in Ho Chi Minh City.

They are sold at a wide range of prices, from VND25,000 (US$1.15) to VND500,000 ($22.97).

The most expensive kinds are machines shaped like a pillow which tell stories when users turn on a switch, as well as kitten-shaped tools which are activated when users touch them.

The prices for these machines range from VND150,000 ($6.89) to VND500,000.

The cheapest and best-selling kind is the machine shaped like a touch-screen phone, which parents often choose since they do not see the need to spend a lot of money on a toy as children will soon get bored with it.

None of these are recommended for use for children under three, however, the content contained in these machines could shock even adults.

Accounts of a man sneaking into the house of a woman at midnight and taking her virginity or of men marrying two women who are sisters are among the stories told in Vietnamese by a machine named Aphone 6.

Except for the line “made in China” on its cover, the machine, which costs VND80,000 ($3.67), has no information on its import or export company.

Besides, parents are not able to check the content in the machines prior to buying them because they have to agree to purchase them before sellers install batteries to test them.

Buyers can only hear the content for a few seconds to see if the machine works, not the entire content of it.

Do Thi Thuy Nguyet from District 3 said her son insisted on buying one such toy because he saw a boy next door with one.

After being warned about the inappropriate content, Nguyet lamented that it is not easy at all to buy safe and affordable toys for children.

She added that on occasions like the Mid-Autumn Festival or International Children’s Day, local authorities and schools often grant kids toys with Chinese text on the box without any instructions in Vietnamese.

According to Phan Hoang Kiem, head of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Market Management, many shops in the city are selling toys which are said to be for children, but the department has detected many violations of product quality and appropriateness for the kids.

The department has also worked with cultural management agencies to fine and seize numerous toys which are not suitable for kids, or toys which violate cultural regulations.

Most of these products are made in China, and sellers often cannot show certificates for them.

In June, officials in the northern province of Hai Phong found a number of touchscreen phone-shaped storytelling machines which tell stories like animals in the woods are addicted to drugs.

The product label said it was imported from Chinese Shantou Lifa Trading Co. Ltd. by Ba Loi Co. Ltd. in District 8, Ho Chi Minh City.

However, when Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper correspondents visited the address, there was no Ba Loi company there.

Phan Thi Mai Quyen, an instructor from the sociology and social work faculty of the Ho Chi Minh City Open University, said the role of parents in choosing toys for kids is extremely important.

She also advises that parents should pay careful attention to a toy’s origin and quality before buying it, as well as remember to check if the product is appropriate for their children’s ages.

For technical toys including games or storytelling programs, parents have to ask sellers to check the content before deciding to buy them.

According to the instructor, if kids play with toys that include inappropriate content, they will tend to display negative emotions such as irritability, insecurity and anxiety, which will affect their awareness and behavior.

Instead of buying many toys for kids, parents could also make toys or teach them about folk games for entertainment, Quyen suggests.

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