Four year old wants an Alexa for Christmas

[QueenoftheDay]

Is this a stupid idea? Because it’s down to £35 on Amazon just now and I can’t decide whether to order it for her or not.

She was at my sisters house today and they were playing with Alexa there. She was asking her sums and spelling and playing Disney songs etc. She has not stopped talking about Alexa since we got home.

I’m just not sure. I mean it would need to stay downstairs in the living room or kitchen because I don’t think I’d want her to have it unsupervised (is that daft? I don’t actually know much about them!) but then it seems like it isn’t really a gift for her. But then I wouldn’t even have considered buying one if she hadn’t been so keen?

Any thoughts??

I'm very interested to see how the first cases of identity theft or fraud go, when these smart speakers are implicated in it.

Sure as eggs is eggs any finance providers will do whatever possible to avoid paying out of they think the user can be found culpable (and set precedent).

exactly @BuzzShitbagBobbly!

I would get the dot for her.

We love ours and use it for games, songs & radio.

It takes 1 min to power up so can easily be turned off at the mains between use.

I think it’s a great gift, she will love it.

We have the google version and my 4 year old loves asking google to play the music and songs he likes. Obviously he can't spell what he wants yet in a Spotify search so it's good that he can ask for the music he wants to play.

Buzz "I work in a relevant field and none of my technical colleagues or I will have an Alexa/Google home etc."

interesting - people think I'm being paranoid!

I don't think most of us are on or plan to be on the FBIs most wanted list however there are legitimate concerns re what Amazon do with the data

Anyone who doesn’t understand/hasn’t had time to properly consider the concerns around this should read 21 Lessons for the 21st Century by Yuval Noah Harari.

It’s not just about Amazon - it’s any company we share data with. You might think “I don’t have anything to hide, what’s the problem” but it really is much more complex than that.

I understand completely.
It's just like FB. And MN.

Things are never free. If they are then you're the price tag.

It's just about weighing up the pros and cons.

And no my Alexa doesn't hear me on the phone. It's in another room. But I make the call on my smart phone so I'm fucked anyway.

I work in a relevant field and none of my technical colleagues or I will have an Alexa/Google home etc.

Why would you say that is, Contraceptionismyfriend?

Because grown ups have made a reasonable and conscious decision for their lives :/ just like I have done.

I wouldn't do a lot of things related to my field. Yet thousands of people do so every single week.

As I said. I'm aware of the risks. I'm fine with it.

You're using device that you've given your personal information to. So can't exactly preach.

I wouldn’t get her one for herself but just buy one for the family. Wait till Black Friday and it should be £25 or so

We have one downstairs and DDS 9 and 4 got one between them for Christmas last year so they can play their own music and stories and things upstairs. Both are still used daily.

Alexa is one of the easiest hackable systems in the U.K.

@BuzzShitbagBobbly amen!

“ You're using device that you've given your personal information to.”

How so? I can limit what I put in a computer but Alexa listen all the time.

i would never have one of those things in my house, and 4 year olds don't know what they want and shouldn't get it if it's not in their interest!

totally don't get it tbh. if i want to listen to music i play it over bluetooth speakers via my phone. why on earth would you need a further gadget (an insidious amazon data miner at that!) to do that for you?! I'm only ever an arm away from something i can connect to the internet with on my terms.

A friend of mine has it, her son really enjoys it. But I think it would be better to have a really nice Bluetooth speaker and a Spotify playlist instead. The Alexa is pretty rubbish at finding anything that isn’t very popular.

I'm a widow and live on my own with the cat. Alexa would be bored stiff with my (one-sided) conversations with Phoebe. I think I'm safe.

Tilly even the makers say to warn guests

www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/google-boss-says-you-must-20586550

I was pretty pissed off when I first found I was being recorded at a friend’s house

I live alone too but there’s people here all the time and I’d warn them if I had one.

I sometimes wonder if Edward Snowden looks at the things he did and wonders why he bothered!

A better, more informative link

www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-50048144

I am honestly not bothered of Alexa place in our home.

What does that even mean, @Contraceptionismyfriend?! 🤨🧐

All of you who won't have an Alexa or Google equivalent will presumably also not have an Android or iPhone phone. They listen just as much and they are probably with you in many more places than the "smart speaker".

@worriedmumtoteen what do you think it means genius?

You don't want one. Don't bloody get one. But I know the risks and I'm absolutely fine with it.

Not a problem if you turn the microphone off on your phone, NetballHoop.