Alexa

How am I supposed to navigate the world when it keeps changing faster than I can adjust?
Meet Alexa!

My daughter informed me, just before I left for her house in Washington, that they no longer subscribe to cable TV, but that they had a "walkaround".  She understands that TV is my alternate entertainment in the lonely hours of the night.  I hoped for the best.  She didn't tell me, however, about Alexa until I arrived.  Yikes!

Alexa controls the house.
For the uninitiated, Alexa is artificial intelligence which, when programmed, will do almost anything you ask, as long as you say her name first.
"Alexa, turn lights off."  Lights go off.
"Alexa, turn TV on."  TV comes on.
"Alexa, set timer for 30 minutes."  Timer set and alarm sounds at the end of the time.
Alexa keeps shopping lists, to-do lists, announces reminders, acts as a public address system, a Google question answerer, and all of the things that you wish you had when you were younger.  (My brother, now long deceased, would have had one or more Alexas in his life, since he spent the better part of his younger existence wiring control boards to do what Alexa does digitally.)
You get the picture.

The only real problem comes when you don't speak Alexa's language.  For example, the Alexa that I dealt with in my room in their house didn't understand the word "television".  She did comprehend "TV".  It's frustrating if the programmer in the house is in bed and can't be always be counted on to help.  Also, Alexa has excellent hearing.  Things that are requested from one room can sometimes be heard from another room.  Strange things can happen!

My daughter suggested that I need an Alexa because "she" could call an emergency number if I asked.  Well...it's a nice idea, but I am not surrounded by techno-geeks the way she is.  I wouldn't be able to deal with one single glitch because I have zero knowledge about how these things work. Nor do most of the people of my acquaintance.  It's not the same as asking someone to come help flip an electric breaker...

I'm not knocking Alexa.  Having that kind of service in a busy household is awesome, as long as there are folks there (my son-in-law) who know how to deal with the glitches.  I'm just not in that position.  Not sure I ever could be.  There are just things in the real world that are lost to people in previous generations who just don't get it.  I'm one of them.  God knows, I try!!