April 19, 2019 by Mary Kay Fleming · Arts & Culture

Smart Appliances Have Me Wondering: How Long Before I’m Outwitted by a Toaster?

Smart appliances have Mary Kay Jordan Fleming feeling a little, well, dumb. Here, she takes a look at whether tech is simplifying or complicating our lives.

Have you been shopping for appliances lately? Our society has reached a tipping point where almost every new electrical houseware is equipped with “smart technology.” I’m not even sure what that phrase means, but I’m not spoiling for an intellectual showdown with my appliances.

The signs of technological challenge have been on the wall, literally hanging on our wall, for a decade. A new thermostat sporting 11 different functions was installed with our furnace many years ago. We have no clue about most of them, so we adjust the temperature manually each day using the only two buttons we understand. We avoid the one labeled END, which, for all we know, might trigger the Rapture.

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