039 - Amazon Echo Dot For Kids: Pros, Cons and Skills

Welcome to Episode Number 39!Today on the podcast, I will talk about one of my favorite apps for life.

News - The Echo Dot for Kids NBC News Article Echo Dot for Kids was designed to reduce screen time while connecting kids to services they need. By using the voice-activated platform, a child will spend less time in front of a screen, Amazon told NBC News. Alexa can also teach your child some manners through interactions with the device. When a child asks a question by saying “please”, Alexa responds with a compliment that thanks them for asking nicely. With data privacy still in the headlines, this article says that Amazon has stressed that the new Echo Dot Kids Edition is equipped with security and safety considerations. It also states that third-party app developers are never given access to a child’s data or information. Wired.com Article In the second article, It is reported that lawyers, child development experts, and privacy advocates are expressing concerns about two new Amazon products targeting children -Echo Dot for Kids and FreeTime Unlimited. They questioning whether they encourage children to be too dependent on technology and jeopardize their privacy.

App: Special Echo Dot Just For Kids Money.com Article The Echo Dot Kids Edition plays music, answers questions and comes with a one-year subscription to Amazon's FreeTime Unlimited. FreeTime Unlimited offers access to kid-friendly books and ad-free radio stations built for kids. Both are aimed at kids ages 5 to 12. The colorful Echo Dot for Kids comes in a protective case with a choice of colors. Your child can choose blue, red or green. They are loaded with parental controls. Parents can set time limits for use and pre-select which services kids can access. Songs with inappropriate lyrics are automatically blocked. The child’s ability to purchase items from the internet is also disabled.

Tech Tip 25 Best Alexa Skills For Kids This article lists 25 Alexa skills for kids. I mentioned two on the podcast that may help with summer slide. One is the Spelling Bee skills. If you say,"Alexa, Launch Spelling Bee". This skills will start. The spelling bee is designed for grade school children (grades 4 & 5) to help them practice their spelling words. You can choose as many rounds as you want. Each round is one spelling word. This article reports that Alexa hears you very well while spelling. The second Alexa Skill is Alexa, Ask Math Mania to Play" This contains two useful math skills for kids who want to practice their multiplication, addition, subtraction, or division skills. To open 1-2-3 Math say "Alexa, Open 1-2-3". These skills give you several math options and multiple difficulty levels. The challenges include word problems and number sequences in a quiz format.

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