Smart Speakers Spark A Debate
There is much debate on the Net about the possible impact of smart speakers, such as Amazon Echo and Google Home, on children.
There are estimated to be 50 million of these installed in American homes already.
If so, that would mean about 35 per cent of the population has one.
As usual, the UK is starting to catch up fast.
It is also said that homes with young families are more likely to have ones than those whose kids have flown the nest.
There will, of course, be a host of positives for inquisitive kids.
The potential to learn from an encyclopaedic source is considerable.
Especially with a fount of knowledge which is always there, will answer an endless stream of questions without demur and not have to break off to go to work or empty the washing machine.
Folk are asking, though, about psychological effects. Experts have noted that politeness tends to go out the window when adults interact with these devices. ‘Alexa, play me some Ed Sheeran’ they might bark. The kids inevitably take note and follow suit. After all these robotic playmates will not pull them up on any rudeness.
So, Commentators ask, will kids be able to differentiate between dealing with interactive home helps and with people? Will the development of their interpersonal skills be affected? Particularly, they wonder about the wellbeing of those kids who just get left to entertain themselves with a computerised assistant by busy parents.
And that is before turning to the awkward matter of any questions that parents probably would not want Google or Alexa to answer, at least when asked by curious younger offspring.
