A recent article on Business Insider suggests that Amazon Alexa is responsible for ruining the lives of kids and adults named Alexa. Now I am not sure what you think about that but I am not buying it. I’ll tell you why in a bit. But first, here’s a snippet from the article.
According to the article, Business Insider had a chat with “half a dozen of parents and adults named Alexa and they discovered just how difficult their lives have become since Amazon’s AI has zoomed to popularity.”
One parent shared her experience of how much her child was being harassed because her name is Alexa. The worst part about this is that this harassment was coming from other kids as well as adults.
And now the name “Alexa” has become synonymous with “servant,” another parent told Business Insider, which inspires adults and children to universally bark out orders, tease, joke and bully humans named Alexa, parents and adults named Alexa say. “If we had named our child Servant, we’d be all over the news,” the mom says.
Business Insider
A teen also discussed the sexual harassment she’s endured and the parents of a three-year old felt forced to legally change their child’s name.
In the article it was also stated that “another parent “made the financial sacrifice,” to place their daughter in a private school where teasing is not allowed, hoping to protect her better.”
Hey, if it’s one thing, you definitely want to protect your child at any cost.
Is Amazon Alexa Really Ruining the Lives of People Named Alexa?
But is Amazon Alexa really ruining the lives of people named Alexa? Let’s dissect the “evidence.”
First of all, half a dozen people is a small sample size. This sample size is way too small to make such a sweeping generalization of lives being ruined. Secondly, lives are not ruined. These individuals are just having a hard time at the moment. Difficult times often builds character.
Thirdly, there are other individuals who experience bullying and their names are not Alexa. Bullying is not new. But I understand that it is rough to have to go through something like this.
According to one individual
The problem is that Amazon chose a popular human name for its artificial intelligent software bot. And now the name “Alexa” has become synonymous with “servant,” another parent told Business Insider, which inspires adults and children to universally bark out orders, tease, joke and bully humans named Alexa, parents and adults named Alexa say. “If we had named our child Servant, we’d be all over the news,” the mom says.
Business Insider
Amazon Alexa is NOT the problem
Well, um, Servant is really a weird name for a child. Who would want to do that? Anyway, contrary to this parent’s view, I don’t see Amazon Alexa as a servant.
To me, Amazon Alexa is helpful, smart, and people can learn quite a bit from “her.” This device comes with some really cool functions. In addition to which, it can help you remember appointments, as well as manage your time wiser.
It’s very possible that this bullying might happen with any name that Amazon chose for their artificial intelligent software bot. If Giselle or Amy, was being used, the same thing would have happened.
However, Alexa is a lovely name and most likely chosen because Amazon Alexa sounds really good. Amazon Amy or Amazon Giselle, not so much. LOL.
Now if Amazon Alexa is “inspiring” people to bully others, then something is wrong there, since that is not what the device was created to do. Additionally, the device does what you ask of it. Other than that, it’s just there, silently listening. Cue the sci-fi music already.
Put the blame where it belongs
Here’s the problem with us human beings. Most often we fail to see the true cause of the problem. When we do that (miss the true cause of the problem), then we are not able to deal with the problem appropriately.
So I am sorry but I can’t agree with the idea that Amazon Alexa is ruining the lives of individuals who have the same name.
One mother has been trying to raise awareness with a group called Alexa Is A Human and has reached out to Amazon with public letters and directly. But so far, their calls for help on the matter have fallen on deaf ears.
Business Insider
While I understand that you want to do as much as possible to make the problem go away. I am not sure what this particular action might accomplish. What exactly would this parent want Amazon to do? Rename their device? Uh, not seeing that happening at all.
The problem here is not Amazon Alexa. The problem is the people who are taking it upon themselves to bully and tease these individuals.
People get ideas and they act on those ideas, whether those ideas are good or bad.
Put the blame where it duly belongs; on the people who are unkind, and are making the decision to bully others. Not Amazon Alexa.
So that’s my take on the whole issue… “Hey, Alexa, play some smooth jazz.”