Technology is now helping to teach children to be polite.
Amazon will soon start selling a children's version of its virtual assistant
Alexa. The new digital assistant will be called "FreeTime". The
child-friendly device will include what Amazon calls a "Magic Word"
feature. Of course, there are two magic words: "Please," and:
"Thank you." The smart software is programmed to encourage children
to say "please" and "thank you" when they ask the device
questions. An example of this is if a child asks FreeTime: "What is the
capital city of Australia?" Alexa will answer and end its response with: "Thank
you for asking so nicely." Amazon hopes this will encourage children to
copy the device and be more polite.
Amazon says the new Magic Word feature is to answer the many
customers who said technology was teaching children to be rude. Many smart
devices simply give out sentences without using any polite words. Parents said
children copy this way of speaking and forget to say "please" or
"thank you". Children also got used to asking smart devices questions
without being polite. Not everyone is happy with this new technology. Josh Golin,
executive director of Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, said: "AI
devices...interfere with the face-to-face interactions and child-driven play
that children need to grow." He believes parents should spend more time
with children and teach them politeness.
1. How polite are you? Do you always say "please" and "thank you"?
2. How important is politeness? How important are the words "please" and "thank you"?
3. Who is the rudest person you've ever met? What do you find rude about tourists visiting your country? Do you ever say things to rude people?
4.What do you think of virtual assistants like Alexa?
5. Should technology teach children to be polite? Who should teach us about politeness?
6. How important is face-to-face interaction?