Ankle Monitors: Are They Real Or A Hoax?

A viral video on TikTok has sparked a debate about a toy ankle monitor for children, with many people questioning whether it is real. The video, posted by Legboot (@legbootlegit), showcases a colourful plastic ankle monitor similar to those used on criminals under house arrest. It claims that the device can be connected to an app, allowing parents to designate areas where they want to keep their children and receive notifications if they step out of bounds. While some viewers were shocked and disturbed by the concept, others quickly realised that the product was a spoof created by Legboot in collaboration with @shampoooty. Legboot is known for creating bizarre yet realistic hoax products, and the ankle monitor toy is no exception. The video's satirical tone and over-the-top features, such as the ability to electrically shock children, eventually give away that the product is not genuine.

'My First Ankle Monitor' is a spoof product

My First Ankle Monitor is a spoof product

A viral video on TikTok has sparked a wave of reactions from surprised and confused viewers. The video, posted by Legboot (@legbootlegit), features a toy device similar to an electronic ankle monitor used for criminals but designed for children. The spoof product, created in collaboration with @shampoooty, is meant to be a parody and is not a real item for purchase.

In the video, Legboot showcases the "My First Ankle Monitor" toy, branded with the "Little Yikes" logo, which is a colourful plastic ankle monitor. He explains that the device can be easily strapped to a child's ankle and connected to an app that allows parents to designate areas where they want to keep their kids. If the child steps out of the designated area, parents can electrically shock them as punishment.

The video gained over 20 million views on TikTok, with many viewers initially unsure if the product was real. The realistic packaging and presentation of the toy contributed to the confusion. However, the brand name "Little Yikes," a parody of the popular brand "Little Tikes," and the absurd concept of shocking children are giveaways that the product is a spoof.

Legboot, the creator of the spoof product, is known for creating bizarre yet realistic hoax products. He previously gained attention for his "Google First Search Award" hoax, where he showcased a fake trophy purportedly given out by Google. Legboot's "My First Ankle Monitor" video is intended to add a touch of humour and weirdness to the world, as he believes "the world could use a little more crazy, a little more weird, a little more humor."

The toy was created by artist LegBootLegit

The "My First Ankle Monitor" toy was created by artist LegBootLegit, who is known for creating bizarre but realistic hoax products. The toy is a plastic, colourful ankle monitor, similar to those placed on criminals under house arrest. In a viral TikTok video, Legbootlegit pretends to be a father who uses the toy to monitor and control his child's movements. The video sparked strong reactions from viewers, with many expressing shock and disbelief at the concept of an ankle monitor for children.

LegBootLegit's spoof product mimics the design of real ankle monitors, complete with an accompanying app and packaging resembling that of a popular toy brand, "Little Tikes." The video showcases various features of the toy, including the ability to set up time-out and no-go zones for the child, as well as a built-in electrical impulse training tool that can be used to shock the child as punishment.

While the video initially caused concern among viewers, it was eventually revealed to be a parody and not an actual product for sale. LegBootLegit, whose real name is unknown, stated that he created the spoof to spread "harmless misinformation" and add "a little more humour" to the world. He has previously gained attention for creating hoax products, such as the "Google First Search Award," which similarly fooled many people into believing it was real.

LegBootLegit has teased that his next hoax product will be an extension of the kiddie's ankle monitor, called the "Doing Time HOLDING CELL," promising an "even more robust confinement experience."

It was designed to look like a real ankle monitor

The "My First Ankle Monitor" is a fake product designed to look like a real ankle monitor. The toy is the creation of artist LegBootLegit, who is known for creating bizarre but realistic hoax products. The ankle monitor is branded with the "Little Yikes" logo and is a plastic, colourful device similar to those placed on criminals under house arrest.

The product's packaging and materials are designed to mimic those of legitimate children's toys, seamlessly blending in with other children's devices from brands like Walmart and Little Tikes. The spoof device is complete with hilarious disclaimers and features, such as the ability to set time-out and no-go zones for children, all designed to keep them confined.

LegBootLegit's video showcasing the product has gone viral on social media platforms like TikTok and Twitter, with many people initially believing it to be a real product. The artist himself has stated that he enjoys "spreading harmless misinformation" and that "the world could use a little more crazy, a little more weird, a little more humour."

While the "My First Ankle Monitor" is not a real item for purchase, it has sparked strong reactions and sparked discussions about the boundaries of humour and the potential normalisation of negative behaviours.

The toy has an accompanying app

The "My First Ankle Monitor" toy has sparked strong reactions online, with many people expressing shock and disbelief. The toy, designed to look like a real ankle monitor for children, is marketed as a solution for parents who want to keep their kids confined to certain areas. The accompanying app is a key part of the product's functionality, allowing parents to receive notifications if their child steps out of a designated area.

In the viral video posted by Legboot (@legbootlegit) on TikTok, the father claims that the device helped him get a good night's sleep as it keeps his child in their room. He showcases how the app can be used to set up "time-out" and "no-go" zones, receiving alerts on his phone if his child leaves the designated area. The app also enables parents to deliver electrical shocks to their children as punishment, a feature that the father jokingly refers to as "therapeutic" for him.

The realistic presentation of the toy, complete with packaging and branding ("Little Yikes"), has led to confusion among viewers, with some people initially believing it to be a genuine product. However, it is important to note that "My First Ankle Monitor" is not a real item for purchase. It is a spoof product created by LegBootLegit, an artist known for crafting bizarre yet realistic hoax products.

Despite the parody nature of the toy, some parents have expressed a desire for a real product, minus the electrical shock feature. The video sparked discussions about the ethical implications of such a device and the importance of introducing playful human error and humour into art. LegBootLegit, the creator of "My First Ankle Monitor," has stated that he aims to fill the void with harmless misinformation and add a little more weirdness and humour to the world.

The video of the toy went viral on TikTok

A video of a toy ankle monitor for children went viral on TikTok in August 2023, attracting tens of millions of views and sparking debate about whether the product was real. The video, posted by the account legbootlegit on August 1, 2023, showed what appeared to be an ankle monitor for kids, branded in the style of Little Tikes, found on the shelves of Walmart. The voiceover in the video spoke directly to parents who were not getting enough sleep at night because their children would not stay in their rooms. It then introduced the "My First Ankle Monitor" as a solution to this problem, claiming that the product could be used to monitor a child's location and shock them if they moved to any restricted areas set up via an adult-operated app.

The video caused a stir online, with comments expressing shock and disbelief, and some even condemning the product as abusive. However, the ankle monitor is not real. It was created by LegBoot, an artist known for producing deceptive and humorous fake products. The video was carefully crafted to appear convincing, with professional-looking branding, photography, and filming. However, subtle clues gave away the hoax, such as the brand name "Little Yikes" instead of "Little Tikes", and the satirical ad copy on the box, which included statements like "Prepare your mini me for its future house arrests" and "Make sure that little snot stays in its room!".

LegBoot has since clarified that the idea for the video came from a collaboration with @shampoooty on Instagram, who has an ongoing art series called Kids Toys. They also revealed that creating the fake product and video took them about a month, as it is just a hobby alongside their two day jobs. Despite the convincing presentation, LegBoot stated that most people understood the joke, and they only received one email from someone who wanted to purchase a dozen of the monitors as gag gifts.

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