Parents with children called Alexa complain to Amazon for using the name for their virtual assistant, as their daughters are bullied because of it.
The “relentless” barrage of Alexa jokes has even prompted some parents to change their child’s name.
Amazon’s Echo and Echo Dot use Alexa as the spoken command before you give the device instructions or ask a question. However, this causes issues for people named Alexa. They frequently find themselves on the receiving end of jokes with people repeatedly shouting their name and issuing commands. Parents now call on Amazon to use a different default activation word for its devices so they have a non-human name.
Amazon are “saddened” to hear this, and say alternative wake words are available for use. As the number of households using voice activated smart speakers increases, the use of the word Alex is becoming more common in everyday language.
Alexa is human
One mother of a teenager called Alexa tells her story.
When her daughter began attending secondary school, she received abuse from other children and teachers because of her name. She become reluctant to introduce herself because of the jokes and backlash. The school did nothing to help, only saying “she needed to build resilience”. Her mother found it devastating that her child could be treated in this way, not just by other children, but by adults too. Everyone thought that it was OK to make a joke of her because of her name.
The ordeal was ruining her daughter’s life, and took a massive toll on her mental health.
In the end, they changed Alexa’s name through legal channels, and moved schools, to enable her to make a fresh start. Now she is in a much better place, but the injustice will never go away.
However, this is not the only case of bullying and abuse because of the name Alexa. Another mother says that her six year old daughter is already being targeted. Right from when she was in reception class, older children would pick on her. Others soon cottoned on, and joined in shouting commands at her.
While at the park recently, all the boys there kept calling to her, and she started clamming up. The experience is knocking her confidence, as adults make fun of her too. The little girl told her mum she wished people didn’t know her name.
Fight for the name Alexa
The problem is not just confined to the UK though. Amazon’s virtual assistant has received many complaints since its launch in 2014.
A campaign called Alexa is a Human was started by Lauren Johnson in the USA, who is mother to a nine year old called Alexa. She says it has gone beyond the normal levels of teasing, and is now an issue of identity. The word Alexa has become associated with the concept of servants or slaves. It makes people think they can treat those named Alexa in a subservient manner.
It can be even worse for older children, as many of the Alexa jokes can veer towards a sexual nature.
However, it is not just children who are subject to bully, the issue is affecting adults too. One woman named Alexa in Germany says she suffers from jokes in both her private and professional life. People always make a comment as soon as she says her name.
It is seen as ethically unacceptable for a brand to hijack a human name and completely alter its meaning. Everyone named Alex is urged to fight for their name, and make Amazon step back.
Not enough ethical research
People who buy these devices are unwittingly adding to the problem. Amazon failed to carry out enough ethical research into using the word Alexa. In the UK there are over 4,000 people under the age of 25 with the name Alexa. Although the name Alexa has significantly dropped in popularity since Amazon launched their device.
In response to parents’ upset, Amazon say their voice assistant was designed to “reflect qualities we value in people – being smart, considerate, empathetic, and inclusive”. They are sad on hearing these stories, and do not condemn any form of bullying. They want to make it clear that they think this kind of behaviour is “unacceptable”.
Meanwhile, Amazon do not clearly advertise the fact that the default word is changeable, and many do not know it is something they can do. Alternative wake words consumers can choose include Echo, Computer, and Amazon. The online giant says they value customer feedback and will continue looking for ways to offer more choice in this area
Thank you for reading Alexa upsets parents as they challenge Amazon
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