A reader recently sent me a great question: “Should I be worried about my kid using Alexa or Google Home?”  

It’s a great question, and one I’ve been thinking about more myself lately, especially as these devices become more conversational and, honestly, more human-sounding every day.

Google is gradually replacing Google Assistant with Gemini, a more advanced conversational system. Similarly, Amazon has launched Alexa+, which uses large language models (LLMs) to make the assistant more human-like.

It seems like the right moment to pause and consider what risks our kids face with these “smart” speakers.

Smart speakers, such as Alexa, are found in some kids’ bedrooms, where they’re used to play music, listen to a meditation, or read bedtime stories. Throughout the house, they are used for things like finding out the weather forecast, helping with homework, and much more, of course.

Both situations, in kids’ rooms and in the house in general, pose some risks for kids, and I want to explore a few while offering solutions, including replacement options for when they are used at bedtime. 

(And let me mention that our Screen-Free Sleep campaign includes ensuring Alexa and other smart speakers are out of children’s bedrooms to ensure healthy sleep)

‍

A few hidden downsides that are easy to miss:

‍

Research shows how often the wrong/ inappropriate apps can be activated 

A study called "SkillBot: Identifying Risky Content for Children in Alexa Skills tested thousands of child-directed Alexa apps (the apps are called “skills”) and found something unsettling: kids could accidentally trigger apps meant for adults, including some with inappropriate content.  In some cases, the system even prioritized adult content! 

The study also found that many parents assume Alexa’s kids category is thoroughly vetted and safe. Yet, these child-focused apps can still collect personal information or respond with content that is inappropriate for their intended age group.

‍

‍

Modeling rude interactions

How does one talk to these robots? At times I use the voice feature on ChatGPT to practice a foreign language, and I can feel bad when I get frustrated and raise my voice at it. Sometimes I do the reverse like finding myself thanking it like I would a person. 

It’s confusing, because we don’t want to model for our kids that we treat machines like people which goes against the goal of helping them avoid forming attachments to technology. But at the same time, we also don’t want to model being rude.

‍

Undermines patience

Kids are curious, and their questions are so sweet (and can drive us batty at times, like with the endless 'why? why? why?') 

Smart speakers can answer questions quickly. But what is the message if kids think they can get their questions answered instantly? Where is the grappling with the question? We need to teach them to practice patience. 

‍

Privacy issues and targeting with ads

And then there’s the privacy piece. Researchers found that Alexa can infer personal interests from what people say, and those insights feed into ad targeting. For example, if you ask enough questions about skincare, you will likely be filtered into a “Fashion and Style” persona, which is then used to target you with ads.

‍

‍

Solutions:

Okay, what can we do, especially if you have one of these smart speakers in your home?

1. For a smart speaker in the bedroom, consider swapping out smart speakers for a sound machine that offers different types of sounds, like ocean waves or birds. 
2. I’ve also just learned about something called Zenimals, which isn’t connected to a smart speaker or a phone, but allows your child (or you) to tap it and listen to meditation stories screen-free.
3. You could also use a simple Bluetooth speaker that connects to your phone if you really need to play something, like music or a story.
4. Check out more ideas at ScreenFreeSleep.org.
5. If you’re not ready to give up your smart speaker entirely, make it a family experiment. Unplug it for a week and talk as a family about how it’s going. What do you miss? What feels better? 
6. Perhaps even invite another family who also uses a smart speaker and host a “salon” to discuss the issues together, and include the kids. From there, you could try a one- or two-week experiment and then meet again to share how it went.

And why not celebrate completing your science experiment with a bit of chocolate? When I worked in a lab after college, our weekly meetings always included chocolate. Best tradition ever!

‍

Questions to get the conversation started:

1. What are some of the pluses and minuses of smart speakers?
2. If in a child's bedroom, ask them, ”What substitution should we try?”
3. Do you have a friend who also has one who might want to come and talk about this with us?

‍

This week on YouTube

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel! We add new videos regularly and you'll find over 100 videos covering parenting advice, guidance, podcasts, movie clips and more. Here's our most recent:

‍