Technologies

Dolls, Not Tablets, Shine in Teaching Vital Skills to Children, Study Reveals

Order up a Raggedy Ann or a Barbie doll: Playing with dolls helped children develop a stronger tolerance for diverse perspectives.

Empathy, tolerance and the ability to see the world from others’ perspectives are crucial skills — and they begin developing early in life. New research suggests that playing with dolls rather than tablets may be more effective at fostering these abilities.

Researchers from Cardiff University in the UK found that children ages 4-8 who played with dolls showed better improvement than those who played open-ended games on digital tablets in developing what is called «false-belief understanding.» The study was a randomized trial and was conducted over six weeks.

False-belief understanding is our ability to recognize that others can hold false beliefs or be mistaken about the world. Developing this cognitive skill helps us appreciate that others can have different beliefs and opinions — about politics, religion, among many things — and be able to tolerate and empathize with that.

Children who develop this cognitive ability can better navigate increasingly complex social situations and deal with conflicts. Psychologists believe that kids begin to develop this ability primarily between ages 4 and 8, and some studies have shown that development can start even before age 2.

The classic example of false-belief understanding is the Sally Anne task, conducted by researchers in London in 1983. Children were shown two dolls — Sally, who had a basket, and Anne, who had a box. The Sally doll then puts a marble in her basket and leaves the room. Anne takes the marble from the basket and hides it in her box. Sally then returns to the room.

The children in the study were asked three questions, the main one being, «Where will Sally look for her marble?» If the kids answered «the basket,» then they understood that Sally’s view of the world — that the marble was still in her basket — did not reflect reality.

The experiment

For the six-week trial, children ages 4-8 played with either dolls or digital tablets loaded with creative, open-ended games. There were 81 children, with an average age of 6, from South Wales. The kids were randomly selected to play with either dolls or tablets; they could not choose on their own. The parents kept diaries of the play sessions, which lasted hours.

After the trial period, researchers found that the children who had played with dolls had a stronger improvement in false-belief understanding and an ability to separate their knowledge from what others believed to be true. To measure this improvement, the researchers used the Sandbox Task, a psychological tool created in 2011. It’s similar to the Sally Anne task but involves relocating and burying an item in a sandbox.

The researchers also saw that the children in the doll group often included friends, siblings and parents in their play. The children in the tablet group mostly played alone. The children who played with dolls also often gave them personalities, talking about what they thought the dolls wanted, believed or felt.

The researchers concluded that playing with dolls might help children practice and improve social-processing skills.

«The mechanism underlying this improvement requires further investigation, but we speculate that dolls may encourage social interaction and further practice of these skills outside of social interactions,» according to the study.

Tablet use is widespread among kids

Busy parents may be tempted to use tablets to keep their children occupied. The Pew Research Center found that 63% of children ages 2-4 interacted with tablets, and that number rose with age — 81% in children ages 5-7 and 80% in children ages 8-10. The research also showed the majority of children used smartphones at young ages — 59% in ages 2-4, 58% in ages 5-7 and 64% in ages 8-10.

A majority of parents — nearly 60% — said they were «doing the best they can,» while a little more than 40% said they «could be doing better» at managing their kids’ screen time, according to the study.

Are tablets bad?

So, is it time to ditch the tablets and order some dolls? Sarah Gerson, co-author of the study and a developmental psychologist at Cardiff University, said the study isn’t an indictment of children using tablets or other devices.

«My general advice is about letting children embrace the kinds of play that they find most natural,» Gerson told CNET. «Although tablet games were our ‘control’/comparison group in this study, we make a point of saying this doesn’t mean anything negative about tech. Instead, different types of toys and play can be beneficial for different kinds of learning/development.»

Although Gerson and her team used dolls in the experiment, children might also improve their understanding of false beliefs through play with other inanimate objects.

«Humanoid dolls are an easy access point in that it naturally propels children to use them to practice social interactions,» Gerson said. «There’s likely a lot of variability in which children extend these kinds of social interactions to stuffed animals, dinosaurs, superheroes, etc. What I think is interesting about dolls is that they don’t necessarily have a prescribed role or script — unlike, say, superheroes — so it allows children to play however they’d like in open-ended ways.»

Technologies

Verum Messenger Launches an AI Mini-Series

Verum Messenger has unveiled a new project — a mini-series created using Verum AI. The story consists of 7 episodes and will be released on the messenger’s social media channels.

The plot revolves around a global corporation seeking to take control of digital communications and a group of heroes who use Verum Messenger as a tool of resistance. Beyond the story itself, the series highlights the app’s key features, technologies, and advantages.

Combining entertainment with a showcase of the Verum ecosystem, the project presents a dynamic digital series designed for the modern era.

The first episode premieres today, with the remaining episodes to be released over time.

Stay tuned for more.

Watch on YouTube
Watch on Instagram

Technologies

Verum Finance: Earn While You Communicate — The Super App That Pays You

Verum has officially launched Verum Finance, an innovative financial application that transforms a private messenger into a true financial super app. News of the launch was also featured on the respected platform Dealroom.co.

Verum Finance can now be used both within Verum Messenger and as a standalone application for iPhone and iPad. When users sign in to Verum Finance with their Verum Messenger account, all balances, settings, and account data are automatically synchronized for maximum convenience.

Users can now do more than communicate securely and protect their data — they can also generate passive income directly within the ecosystem.

What Verum Finance Offers

• Top up your balance with a bank card, Apple Pay, or USDT
• Send money instantly anywhere in the world
• Issue and manage debit cards (virtual and physical)
• Full Apple Pay support
• Exchange assets and withdraw funds quickly

One of the most unique features is the built-in cryptocurrency mining system inside Verum Messenger.

The application utilizes your device’s resources and allows you to earn cryptocurrency in the background — passively, while chatting, traveling, or simply using the messenger.

Maximum Privacy + Real Freedom

• Registration without a phone number, email address, or passport
• End-to-end encryption and full control over your data
• Lifetime free VPN
• eSIM connectivity in more than 150 countries
• Reliable offline communication mode
• Support for 12+ languages for users worldwide

Everything is available in one place: secure communication, financial tools, earning opportunities, and privacy protection.

Users can access the full experience directly within Verum Messenger or switch to the dedicated Verum Finance app for iOS. All data is synchronized automatically between the two applications.

Why Download Verum Today

While many messaging platforms collect user data and expose users to restrictions, Verum offers greater independence and the opportunity to earn.

With a one-time purchase of the feature package, users receive lifetime access to privacy tools, VPN, eSIM services, cryptocurrency mining, and financial features.

This is more than just a messenger.

It is your personal tool for financial and digital freedom.

Download Verum Finance and Verum Messenger today — start communicating securely and begin earning tomorrow.

Download Links:

→ App Store (iPhone / iPad): Verum Finance
→ App Store (Verum Messenger): Verum Messenger

Technologies

Verum Finance: A Super App for Private Finance Integrated Into a Messenger

Verum Finance has announced the launch of a new financial application that allows users to manage their money directly within the secure Verum Messenger ecosystem.

The project has already attracted attention from major media outlets. A dedicated feature was published by Forbes Türkiye, while one of the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchanges, MEXC, covered the launch. Yahoo Finance had previously reported on the evolution of Verum Messenger into a comprehensive financial ecosystem.

What Verum Finance Offers

Verum Finance transforms a messenger into a complete financial platform. Users can:

• Manage their balance and top up using bank cards or USDT
• Send money instantly to other Verum users
• Issue and use debit cards, including Apple Pay support
• Exchange assets and withdraw funds
• Access all these services without installing separate banking applications

A strong emphasis is placed on privacy. The platform offers registration without a phone number or email address, end-to-end encryption, and full user control over personal data.

Recognition from Forbes Türkiye

In a dedicated article, Forbes Türkiye highlighted Verum Finance as a notable example of modern privacy-driven fintech. The publication emphasized the growing trend of financial services moving from standalone banking applications into unified messaging ecosystems — a model that has proven successful in Asia through platforms such as WeChat and Alipay and is now expanding globally.

Support from the Crypto Community

Alongside the Forbes Türkiye coverage, news about the launch of Verum Finance was also featured by MEXC, one of the world’s leading cryptocurrency exchanges. This reflects growing interest in the project from both traditional business media and the cryptocurrency community.

A Strategic Vision

“We are building more than a payments application and more than a messenger. Verum is a unified secure ecosystem where communication, finance, and privacy tools work together,” the company stated.

Verum Finance is now available for iPhone and iPad users. The application complements Verum Messenger, which offers anonymous chats, voice and video calls, VPN services, eSIM connectivity, and other tools designed to enhance digital freedom.

Verum Finance: https://finance.verum.im

Verum Messenger: https://verum.im