You're making good points about the practical issues, but honestly, for me it's less about mic quality or acoustic panels and more about the social aspect. Even alone, I feel kinda silly talking to my TV or fridge—it just feels unnatural. Buttons or apps might have their downsides, sure, but at least they don't make me feel self-conscious in my own home. Maybe it's generational or just personal preference, but I doubt better tech alone would fully solve that awkwardness...
I get your point about the awkwardness factor—voice commands can definitely feel strange at first, especially when you're talking to something like a fridge. But I wouldn't dismiss the role technology itself plays in shaping our comfort level. Consider how quickly we've adapted to other initially awkward tech behaviors. Remember when Bluetooth headsets first came out? People walking around seemingly talking to themselves seemed bizarre, but now it's totally commonplace.
I think part of the discomfort you're describing comes from current voice interfaces being clunky and unnatural. Right now, many devices require very specific phrasing or commands, which makes interactions feel forced and robotic. If voice assistants could handle more natural, conversational language smoothly, maybe we'd feel less silly speaking to them. After all, we don't usually feel awkward talking on the phone or using voice messages—those interactions feel natural because we're communicating with another human.
Also, from an environmental standpoint (sorry to bring this up again), good voice control can potentially reduce unnecessary energy consumption. For instance, smart home systems that respond accurately to voice commands might help people manage lighting, heating, or cooling more efficiently. While I completely agree that social comfort is important, if improved tech can make voice interaction seamless enough to become second nature, it might also encourage broader adoption of sustainable practices.
Personally, I'm still skeptical about talking to my appliances regularly—I prefer manual controls myself—but I wouldn't rule out the possibility that better-designed tech could shift our comfort zones over time. Maybe it's less generational and more about how naturally these technologies integrate into our daily lives...
Honestly, I felt super weird talking to my TV at first too—especially when it misunderstood me and started playing random YouTube vids at full volume. But after tweaking some settings (and practicing my "TV voice"), it's actually pretty handy now...mostly.
Haha, yeah, been there. First time I tried it, my TV decided I wanted to watch some obscure cooking channel at midnight...loudly. Took me forever to get the hang of speaking clearly enough without sounding like a robot myself. Now it's second nature, mostly.
Haha, your cooking channel mishap sounds familiar... Voice commands can be tricky at first. Did you find certain phrases or tones worked better to avoid those midnight surprises? Took me a while to figure out the sweet spot myself.
