Smart speakers may be a convenient way to keep up with the events on your calendar or get the latest headlines and weather in your area. But what you may not know is that every time you call on Alexa or Google to get the news, you could also be scaring the living daylights out of your young children.
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Now-viral videos of babies and toddlers who are genuinely losing it when their parents call on their virtual assistant are making the rounds online. The kids' reactions are leading some to suggest that there may be something not quite right about the voices coming out of those speakers.
A quick search for "kids afraid of Alexa" or "kids afraid of 'Hey Google'" on TikTok will produce all sorts of videos of kids dropping to the floor and hiding in in fear when their parents give the command. If you don't believe us, check out this mashup of clips featuring little ones who are clearly upset:
But while some people think it's cute to see the kids hide or run to their parents when they hear the command, others believe their reaction to the technology is no laughing matter. TikToker NeqNeq TruckHer thinks the scared little ones could be on to something, and she wants to know why parents continue to laugh at their kids' expense.
"What the f* do these kids know that we don't know?" she asks. "I'm talking about these kids are terrified, and the parents are laughing. That sh*t's not funny, because they all, literally have the same reaction."
"Children are picking up on the unnaturalness of Alexa. They may even be perceiving spiritual discomfort that adults overlook," wrote someone else.
TikTok user Anntoinette agrees, adding that she has no plans to bring something into her home that has babies running for cover when they hear it.
"It ain't natural," she says in her post. "I don't want my house locked up by Google or Alexa and I ain't got no control over my appliances and all of that stuff. With the babies being scared of it, I'm definitely not gonna get it."
"[I'm] scared of them too 😂...did you know it can WHISPER?😳 Hell naw," wrote someone in the comments.
TikToker Zaylous' hypothesis is that there are demons associated with virtual assistants. He says kids can see into the spirit realm, which is evident in the fact that so many little ones appear to be bowing at the sound of the voice command.
"Think about it. You are summoning, Alexa, Siri, Google Home, whatever, and every single kid looks toward wherever it is and gets freaked out, and then they fall on their face in a bowing position. That leads me to think that there is a spirit attached to this AI," he said.
Whether you believe there's a connection between Alexa and another dimension or think the whole thing is a crazy coincidence, it's hard not to wonder why so many young kids have such a visceral reaction to smart speakers. We have to agree with this TikTok commenter, who wrote, "This gives me an uneasy feeling."
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