Digital assistants and kids: Small problems

You may love your Amazon Echo for ordering household goods and answering questions, but what is going on when it farts repeatedly?

What’s going on is that some kid in your house has installed the Alexa skill “4AFart” which plays flatulence on command. No matter who is around.
Or what is going on. Imagine.
Of course, the kids think it is hilarious.

The kids also will find impertinent questions to the Echo (Alexa) hilarious.

They will also love it when they discover they can order the latest expensive toys.
While parents can turn off ordering, this also lessens the value of even having Alexa. Parents can require a PIN number for ordering but as children get older this PIN number may not stay secret. Parents can also try repeatedly changing the PIN number.

A whole new etiquette has to develop around this technology. Kids have to learn that ordering things off Alexa is as much stealing and taking cash out of mom’s purse.

More subtle problems can and will crop up. Such as interrupting an adult music stream with kids songs. Or explicit rap songs.

When everyone can access the universe, everyone also has to have some manners about it.

On the other hand, according to Rebecca Hanover’s mommyproof blog, Alexa has a way with kids. Most of the time little kids wouldn’t dream of leaving a toy to come to the dinner table when you ask them to. BUT if you ask Alexa to set a two minute timer, the kids obey.
Then there is the entertainment value. Even little kids can request their favorite songs while mom does something else. Almost all little kids, that is. Kids with problem L sounds will have to improve. And, miraculously, they do.