It’s not her fault: trust through anthropomorphism among young adult Amazon Alexa users
Voice assistants (VAs) like Alexa have been integrated into hundreds of millions of homes, despite persistent public distrust of Amazon. The current literature explains this trend by examining users’ limited knowledge of, concern about, or even resignation to surveillance. Through in-depth, semi-str...
| Hoofdauteurs: | , |
|---|---|
| Formaat: | Journal article |
| Taal: | English |
| Gepubliceerd in: |
SAGE Publications
2023
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| _version_ | 1826311498602905600 |
|---|---|
| author | Fetterolf, E Hertog, E |
| author_facet | Fetterolf, E Hertog, E |
| author_sort | Fetterolf, E |
| collection | OXFORD |
| description | Voice assistants (VAs) like Alexa have been integrated into hundreds of millions of homes, despite persistent public distrust of Amazon. The current literature explains this trend by examining users’ limited knowledge of, concern about, or even resignation to surveillance. Through in-depth, semi-structured interviews (n = 16), we explore how young adult Alexa users make sense of continuing to use the VA while generally distrusting Amazon. We identify three strategies that participants use to manage distrust: separating the VA from the company through anthropomorphism, expressing digital resignation, and occasionally taking action, like moving Alexa or even unplugging it. We argue that these individual-level strategies allow users to manage their concerns about Alexa and integrate the VA into domestic life. We conclude by discussing the implications these individual choices have for personal privacy and the rapid expansion of surveillance technologies into intimate life. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T08:12:17Z |
| format | Journal article |
| id | oxford-uuid:2e48469f-e8a3-4341-aaee-f19590472114 |
| institution | University of Oxford |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T08:12:17Z |
| publishDate | 2023 |
| publisher | SAGE Publications |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | oxford-uuid:2e48469f-e8a3-4341-aaee-f195904721142023-12-04T06:51:52ZIt’s not her fault: trust through anthropomorphism among young adult Amazon Alexa usersJournal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:2e48469f-e8a3-4341-aaee-f19590472114EnglishSymplectic ElementsSAGE Publications2023Fetterolf, EHertog, EVoice assistants (VAs) like Alexa have been integrated into hundreds of millions of homes, despite persistent public distrust of Amazon. The current literature explains this trend by examining users’ limited knowledge of, concern about, or even resignation to surveillance. Through in-depth, semi-structured interviews (n = 16), we explore how young adult Alexa users make sense of continuing to use the VA while generally distrusting Amazon. We identify three strategies that participants use to manage distrust: separating the VA from the company through anthropomorphism, expressing digital resignation, and occasionally taking action, like moving Alexa or even unplugging it. We argue that these individual-level strategies allow users to manage their concerns about Alexa and integrate the VA into domestic life. We conclude by discussing the implications these individual choices have for personal privacy and the rapid expansion of surveillance technologies into intimate life. |
| spellingShingle | Fetterolf, E Hertog, E It’s not her fault: trust through anthropomorphism among young adult Amazon Alexa users |
| title | It’s not her fault: trust through anthropomorphism among young adult Amazon Alexa users |
| title_full | It’s not her fault: trust through anthropomorphism among young adult Amazon Alexa users |
| title_fullStr | It’s not her fault: trust through anthropomorphism among young adult Amazon Alexa users |
| title_full_unstemmed | It’s not her fault: trust through anthropomorphism among young adult Amazon Alexa users |
| title_short | It’s not her fault: trust through anthropomorphism among young adult Amazon Alexa users |
| title_sort | it s not her fault trust through anthropomorphism among young adult amazon alexa users |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT fetterolfe itsnotherfaulttrustthroughanthropomorphismamongyoungadultamazonalexausers AT hertoge itsnotherfaulttrustthroughanthropomorphismamongyoungadultamazonalexausers |