Have we all become digital parents?
It was dark when I came into work yesterday, dark and cold. Meanwhile, my wife was warm and cozy in bed because the school district we work in had declared a "cold weather day". With temps in the single digits and then a wind chill on top of that pushing them into the -20 range, most of the schools in the state were closed.
This post isn't really about the cold or the photo above. It is about a conversation her and I were having the other day and since she took these amazing photos of the sunrise when she finally got up yesterday, I thought I would share them here.
If you have kids or even pets, I can expect you have all had a time where you spell something out versus actually saying the word because you don't want the animal or child to figure out what you are talking about.
We frequently had to spell out the word W-A-L-K so that our dog Jovi wouldn't bust down the door trying to get outside. As soon as you said that word she would cry and whine and rush around the house like it was on fire. She knew what a walk was and she loved to go on them.
Likewise, there are other words human and pet parents need to be careful about. T-R-E-A-T, I-C-E C-R-E-A-M, you get the idea. Like I said, more than likely you have even been there yourself. It's a pretty sound method until the kid learns how to spell. Then all bets are off.
Now that our dog is passed, we have kind of gotten out of the habit of needing to do things like that. If we want to go on a walk, we simply say walk. It's pretty rare that we use the word treat anymore, but sometimes it happens.
That's why I was kind of thrown when we were driving home from work the other day and @mrsbozz said did you look at the S-I-N-K? Like many fields these days, acronyms are plentiful. My mind immediately started racing trying to figure out what she was talking about.
I figured there were at least two possibilities. Either it was an acronym I was supposed to know and I didn't, or it was something she had talked to me about at some earlier date and this was clearly a test to see if I had been paying attention.
Clearly of the two options the second is the least desirable. It would lead to nothing but shame and misery for me, so I struggled to come up with something to say. Finally, I relented and realized I hadn't considered the third possibility.
I asked her what she was talking about and she quickly explained.
She was spelling the word sink because she didn't want our phone to hear it and then start showing her all kinds of ads for sinks. She just wanted to know if I had had time to look at the faucet that was not working properly.
Pretty funny right?
Funny, but probably another situation we have found ourselves in more frequently lately. Sure, you probably aren't as daft as I am and was able to figure out what was going on, but the idea is still the same.
Have we become digital parents trying to keep our devices and the software, algorithm, AI that drives them at bay? I just find it really funny that this is what we have found ourselves resorting to. I know I can't be the only one who hasn't discussed something and then suddenly I start getting ads or targeted content about it on my phone.
I get it, it's unnerving. Much scarier than a kid throwing a tantrum because they want the cookie you shouldn't have mentioned, or your dog getting the zoomies because they want to go on a walk.
It's your privacy!
Sure, you can turn all that stuff off on your phone. Many people do, and I am sure for a while that is going to work. With everything connected to the Internet these days, it's just a matter of time. Additionally, how long before those smart devices figure out how to spell (like they can't already). I think what would have been more funny is if I started getting ads on my phone for some organization with the acronym SINK.
Articles about Single Income No Kids households maybe.
I honestly tried to find some more, but they seem to be a bit more elusive than I thought. I figured there would be a lot more.
In any event it's an interesting idea to think that our smart devices are somehow like kids that we are trying to withhold information from. It's a reality that I never would have imagined when I was younger, and yet here we are.
Personally, I am not a fan, but I know it is only going to get worse the further down this road we go.
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Wow, I hadn’t really thought about that before, but now that you bring it up, it fills me with fear. Fear, and strangely enough, a bit of amusement too, seeing how we’re cornering ourselves. I just hope that in the future, it won’t be others who end up cornering us.
They already own all of our data for the most part, so it is hard to say what is going to happen. Ultimately, we are probably just delaying the inevitable.
I've heard that our phones are not really listening all the time as people have checked, but the search engines and social sites know us really well from how we interact with them. FB may know you better than your partner does. That's a good reason to use it less.
That doesn't mean we shouldn't be careful. There can be malicious apps, but we should be able to control what things they can access. I know Edward Snowden disconnected the microphone on his phone and has to plug in a headset to take calls, but then he knows what the spooks can do.
Yeah, I have a feeling it is more a complex combination of geo-fencing and browser cookies and things like that than actual listening, but it is still interesting. I know people have done experiments where they talk about something totally off the wall to see if it eventually shows up in their daily routine.
Or: Stop Interfering with Necessary Knowledge
Or: Synchronized Input Network Kernel
Hahaha! It's true, our lives are becoming more and more intertwined with technology. It's like we're living in a sci-fi movie where everything is connected and super smart. The tricky part is figuring out how to enjoy the benefits without losing our privacy or security.
What's your favorite piece of tech that you can't live without? For me, I think it'd be the ability to instantly access information—super handy! How about you, @bozz?
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Definitely my smart phone, but only because it has become so integrated into my every day habits. It's my book, my TV, my movie theater, my news paper, my computer, my phone, my camera, my dozens of other things as well.
I was surely not guessing why she spelt out sink. Maybe because I shut off that kind of stuff on my phone. Now I think about there is probably something tracking my habits, haha.
Probably something, even if you don't realize it. I had to laugh at why she did it as well. Actually, after the conversation I was like I need to get home and put this in my notes so I can write a post about it!
Many of the podcasts I listen to use some kind of code word for "Siri" or "Alexis" to avoid triggering them while they record. It's all somewhat funny. Still—for them to be listening for those key words means they are always listening. We are to trust that Google and Apple don't send the logs to the server, but... what if?
I'm not a conspiracy guy, so I'd lean more towards saying if they do save the logs, it's more because some engineer wanted to make his life easier by leaning towards ease rather than security in his code, but still, it is kind of alarming when you think about it.
Yeah, I think it's funny how people have always been like "they don't listen to us". Then I'm like how can you say that when it has to listen for when you say Hey Google. It's silly for sure. The funny thing is, they probably already have all the information anyway, so are we really just making things more difficult for ourselves?
I don't have Alexa or that type of thing but the phones are always listening for sure.
We just have our Fire TV Sticks and you have to hit the button for Alexa to start listening apparently.
Edward Snowden would say he would put his phone in the freezer if he wanted to have a conversation with someone face to face. He acted like the phone could still spy on you if it was off.
You not over thinking it, have noticed this trend when my son is around with a far more modern cellphone, also apps...., I refuse a new phone, if it works leave it be. Allergic to apps on phones, sure they follow, track and trace your every movement, call me crazy, I prefer to keep it that way!
I don't blame you for that!
Good tip to remember, spelling it out. Jovi sounds like all dogs, one word sets them off in a frenzy!
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I was laughing while reading through because I and my husband spell stuff most times because of our toddler.
Before I saw a video, I used to wonder why I was shown different ads I didn't browse but maybe spoke about, until I came across a couple in a video talking about how things they say pop up in their phone ads. That was when it made sense to me.
It's just amazing how the digital world is advancing.
That is pretty funny. I really wasn't sure what my wife was getting to at first. It's a complex world for sure. Between smart devices and technologies like geo-fencing, they have any number of ways to target ads at you.
"Wow, what a captivating post!
I love how you wove together the themes of parenting, pets, and our relationship with technology.
Your storytelling really paints a picture of that cold morning and the humorous struggle with privacy in the digital age.
And those sunrise photos your wife took must have been breathtaking! Pictures are amazing!
It’s a funny yet thought-provoking reminder of how we navigate both our kids and our devices.
Thanks for sharing!" 🙏
Thank you! I appreciate it! I had this one in my list for a while now and today felt like a really good time to put it into a post. Plus I really wanted to share those sunrise photos!
glacial and unhealthy temperatures there now
It's been brutal for sure!
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STOPnice one