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??

Netball I stupidly got an iPhone for work but am going back to my old dumb phone.

But all the microphone is turned off on the iPhone? I covered the camera too, which got some funny responses here!

Oh x post

Everything is off on the iPhone except I wanted it for work email. No Bluetooth, airdrop, location etc.

Get one to keep in the kitchen. I wouldn't get her one 'for herself'.

I bloody love Alexa and use it all the time to listen to international radio stations and play music on request. The children often request songs but more often than not Alexa doesn't understand what they are asking for.

I have 4, the 6 &8 Year old have one in their room . I got them all cheap in the good Friday sale

The majority of the time mine ask it to play music they like, what the weather is like, how long till xmas/Halloween

Also things like what year did ww1 end.

Oh and the new Alexa fart for us thing

The 5 year old loves them. He was in the kitchen for ages yesterday asking constant questions about animals, how the moon formed and how the dinosaurs became extinct!
Basically all the crap I used to get asked but could never answer.

I want my kids asking me - even if it’s all day every day and I’m going crazy by the end of it. Them asking me stuff now sets a model for them asking me when they’d older - I don’t want them asking Alexa about relationships, or drugs or whatever, I want a relationship with then where questions are welcome - even ones I don’t know the answer to. Because the questions aren’t about giving the answers they’re about building relationships. I wouldn’t give an Alexa house room tbh.

Exactly jelly , and there is no control over whether answers to difficult questions on certain subjects are given in an age appropriate way.

I’d be interested to know how the device selects which of the many possible answers to give?
Presumably not everyone necessarily gets the same answer?

I’d be interested to know how the device selects which of the many possible answers to give?
Presumably not everyone necessarily gets the same answer?

In simple terms, for basic questions, they will have a bank of pre-done answers. Several response variants for the same question, so it doesn't sound repetitive.

For stuff they haven't prewritten, then they essentially revert to search engines, theoretically with no controls on what is returned.

There was a thing a while ago where questions were asked about suicide, and answers gave methods! Clearly that should have been a red flag with manual programming intervention to direct the questioner to support services (and I am sure now is).

Mattel also released - and quickly withdrew - a talking/AI Barbie because it became apparent it could be hacked and used for grooming.

You're basically giving children unsupervised access to the internet, with the added bonus of hackability by dodgy people; all wrapped up in an always-on listening device that stores everything they utter.

I considered getting one for my 2 year old or a dot as he is obsessed with mine and loves his music, I don’t understand what everyone’s issue is, if that’s what she wants get it her

I don’t understand what everyone’s issue is,

They’re quite clearly explained in the thread.

if that’s what she wants get it her

My 9 year old wants a tattoo. Should I book her in before or after Xmas do you think?

As someone who has adult children, using Alexa for stories makes me feel sad. There is nothing more precious than reading to your children, looking at each page together; it's the foundation of learning to read. Children love books - and even if they are playing alone, can turn the pages, tell their own version of a story and look at the pictures.

Also they do stop children researching and finding things out for themselves. Ask Alexa as a way of learning is so narrow. Some friends children have no idea how to do something as simple as tell the time, because

Oops, pressed send too soon! ...because they always ask Alexa.

“ I don’t understand what everyone’s issue is”

The device is listening all the time and storing information on you.

I considered getting one for my 2 year old or a dot as he is obsessed with mine and loves his music, I don’t understand what everyone’s issue is, if that’s what she wants get it her

It’s a listening device, in your home. Hearing all your conversations in case you ask it’s name. That one thing is enough for me say no thanks, I wouldn’t allow the government to plant a listening device in my house (that they have hoops to jump through to do it), why on earth would I allow a private corporation access to my home in that way.

It’s lazy parenting to point your child to a device for their every question. My kids love music, they have music speakers in their room to play music, they love stories so my DH and I read with them, they have endless questions which usually start a whole conversation about how the sky stays up or why the moon stays up.

I don’t give my children unfettered access to the internet, I’m not going to use a device that does.

My 8 year old would like her belly button pierced, she’d also quite like to drink wine with dinner and to wear 4 inch heels to school. As her parent I gatekeeper what she’s allowed access to until she reaches an age where she can make informed decisions. It’s called parenting and Alexa won’t be doing it for me.

We're getting them for DC who will be 6&7 at Christmas. They use ours all the time for listening to stories, music, playing games and as a timer to tidy up etc . I also like using them as an intercom to stop shouting up and down the stairs!

I think it's a complete waste of money especially for a four year old but that's my opinion x

I'm disabled, it's great to not have to walk to the end of the hall to switch the light on.

OP

I think getting it for the family is a good idea. You could get your dd an echo button (you need 2 so either one for you or one for the rest of the family) to play games.

Do the sanctimonious twats understand that I do leave the house? That the questions are all day every day. In the car, at bedtime, on the school run.

Alexa has been amazing at giving me a bit of fucking peace and quiet in a very long day.

JFC.

Alexa has been amazing at giving me a bit of fucking peace and quiet in a very long day.

I wonder how parents coped with endless questions before Alexa.

I wonder how some people cope with their head so far up their arse.

Maybe I'll ask Alexa.

Maybe I'll ask Alexa.

Your personal insults might be more creative if you spoke to an actual person.

And risks meeting one of the judgemental dickheads here?

Nah. This is where AI is flawless.

My husband who works in a related field refuses to have them in the house. Microphones etc. on our phones are switched off.

There are some very good articles out there about Alexa and other such devices and how to make them safe as you can. Be aware that Amazon have already had to patch one hack that recorded conversations and sent them to a hacker and another that sent recorded conversations to contacts in your address book. There will be more as the data is so valuable.

So, they are internet devices, whilst you can put on internet filters etc. you are still giving your children mostly unfettered access to the internet, so please think twice before letting young children have them in their bedrooms unsupervised. I won’t let my 8 year old go on the internet unsupervised (she uses it in our computer) and our controls given my husband’s job are tight, but not infallible.

Fair enough to have a speaker downstairs where you can keep an eye, unplug it if necessary. (Don’t rely on the mute button.) Think of the questions you get asked sometimes and would you want those being asked on the internet.

My kids love mine. My 3 year old is constantly asking it to play the duck song

If she’s not a greedy child and it’s all she really wants I would get her it. Stop listening to all these people going on about amazon listening in to you. Anything with a microphone allows companies to listen in, including your mobile phone!

They are great fun, and you can use it too. It can read children's books, tell jokes, play baby shark on a loop, improve her speech, can be programmed to remind her to put her toys away. Win win.

And it's a load of balls that everything is relayed back to amazon 🤷🏻‍♀️

And it's a load of balls that everything is relayed back to amazon

You believe that? You think Amazon just built a kindly, altruistic device for the benefit of consumers and has no interest whatsoever in monetising the reams and reams of free data you generate through it? They just sell the hardware and that's that?

10 second google:
www.theverge.com/2019/10/21/20924886/alexa-google-home-security-vulnerability-srlabs-phishing-eavesdropping
www.forbes.com/sites/kevinmurnane/2018/12/20/amazon-does-the-unthinkable-and-sends-alexa-recordings-to-the-wrong-person/#5e231e6a3ca5
www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-48623914
www.theguardian.com/technology/2019/apr/11/amazon-staff-listen-to-customers-alexa-recordings-report-says