Teach Kids to Be Polite With Voice Assistants
We teach our children to ask something “good” with please at the beginning and thank you at the end. We teach them to be polite with neighbors, cashiers, and restaurant servers. Keep doors open and say sorry when they burp.
And then we let them shout commands to Alexa in a way that can be described as short at best and rude at worst. But now some of our smart voice assistants, including Google Assistant and Alexa , will be good for us – if we’re nice to them.
To improve your relationship with the Google Assistant , start with the words “please” and “thank you”:
If, for example, you say, “Ok Google, please set a timer for 10 minutes,” Google Assistant replies, “Thanks for such a good question! 10 minutes starting now. “
To be clear: this is completely optional. Prefer to be short? It’s okay – the Assistant won’t punish you. But if these are habits that you are trying to instill in your baby or polish yourself, the Assistant will answer you in kind.
Likewise, Alexa will acknowledge the extra effort it takes for good manners:
Called Magic Word, a courtesy feature encourages children to say “Please” and “Thank you,” confirming their use of the terms.
So, for example, if a child asks: “What will the weather be like today, please?” Alexa will add to her answer, “Thanks for asking so well.”
Likewise, when Alexa completes the assignment, if the child says “Thank you,” she will suggest one of several follow-up actions, including “Don’t worry” and “Please.”
Of course, voice assistants will still answer if you ask for something in less than a manner; but now that you know they value courtesy, it won’t feel as good. An added benefit for your kids: positive reinforcement. It doesn’t hurt to have another “person” in your child’s life encouraging good manners.