Hey Siri, do what I tell you: How computer 'assistants' are creating a generation of spoilt brats

Voice-activated programmes are becoming increasingly popular in households
The user merely needs to speak clearly to get the assistant to carry out orders
Parents fear the likes of Apple's Siri and Amazon's Alexa could be having a detrimental effect on their children's manners

Published: 09:49 GMT, 25 February 2017 | Updated: 12:47 GMT, 25 February 2017

e-mail

124

View
comments

Parents are becoming increasingly concerned that their children, who grow up shouting orders at voice-activated gadgets, could be growing up to be spoilt and entitled.

Households across the UK are increasingly using virtual servants, such as Apple's Siri and Amazon's Alexa, on their smartphones and tablets.

The obedient programmes are able to understand and respond to orders using artificial intelligence.

Parents are becoming increasingly concerned that submissive voice-activated devices are having a detrimental effect on their children's manners

They have had a large impact on how people use their gadgets and can be used used to search the web, check the weather, run apps or set alarms.

Amazon uses Alexa on its smart Echo speaker system to respond to orders on what songs to play.

But as such programmes become the norm in the family home, more and more parents are complaining that the submissive search assistants are having a detrimental effect on their children's manners.

They fear their youngsters are being taught that merely speaking clearly is enough to get them what they want without any need for asking politely.

Even former Google executive Hunter Walk said in a blog post last year that the Amazon Echo was turning his daughter into a brat.

He added: 'The prompt command to activate the Echo is "Alexa…" not "Alexa, please". And Alexa doesn't require a 'thank you' before it's ready to perform another task.

Amazon uses the Alexa programme on its Echo smart speaker system

'Learning at a young age is often about repetitive norms and cause/effect.

'Cognitively I'm not sure a kid gets why you can boss Alexa around but not a person.'

Paul Howard-Jones, professor of neuroscience and education at Bristol University, told The Times that the 'the risk only arises if the technology becomes a substitute for human interaction'.

Programmes such as Apple's Siri can be used to set alarms, search the web or check the weather forecast

And Lucy Hume, at etiquette authority Debrett's, also believes a child's manners are dictated by observing how people speak to each other in the real world.

She said: 'Children learn by example, so if they hear their parents speaking politely to a digital assistant they’ll pick up on that.

'However, I think children can tell the difference between a robot and a human being and act accordingly.'