Perceived innovativeness and privacy risk of smart toys in Brazil and Argentina

Abstract

A smart toy, such as “Hello Barbie,” is a device consisting of a physical toy component that connects to a computing system with online services through networking to enhance the functionality of a traditional toy. Whilst these are new educational and entertaining values of smart toys, experts in western countries such as U.S. and Germany have warned consumers of the data security and privacy issues of these toys. In this preliminary research study, we particularly studied Brazilian and Argentinian consumers’ perceived innovativeness, risks and benefits of smart toys and their purchase intention toward such toys. Results indicate that Brazilian consumers have better perception and evaluation of the toy and thus higher purchase intention than Argentinian consumers do. Such difference may be explained by the cultural differences between the two countries, such as relatively low vs. high uncertainty avoidance.