While I am on the cutting edge of new smart home technology, most of those in my inner circle of family and friends are not. Worse, they actively do not understand the technology or my fascination with it.
How much money have you wasted on these toys?
Flat out: this is pretty rude. I don’t go around asking people how much they spent on things that I don’t find valuable or needed, like their sports car, season tickets to football games, 3D TV, or drone. My philosophy is: to each their own. As long as I don’t owe you money, you shouldn’t be questioning how I spend my money. I don’t think of smart home technology as toys, I think of it as both a hobby and a passion. It’s something that I invest my time and money in, and even that I choose to write about for fun and to educate others. So, basically, keep your opinion to yourself.
Do you like the government spying on you?
Yaaaaaaaaawn. I’m so sick of hearing this from people. Especially since the people asking me this are usually asking me while their faces are buried in their smartphone or tablet. Guess what – the government can use those to spy on you, too. I don’t do anything suspicious or illegal, so I certainly do not fret about what Big Brother might find if they decided to tap into me. It’s impossible to be anonymous with technology these days; I do my best to use and stay current on using security features.
Can you install and set up my smart home?
This is one of my favorites. The same people that poke fun at me for using smart home technology end up asking for my help to set them up once they realize that it is a mainstream technology. As more known brands release products and smart home technology is talked about by “cool” people and featured on “cool” shows, all of a sudden I’m an in-demand consultant and installation guy. The truth is, I’m happy to help my friends and family make good decisions about their smart home technology, but I don’t want to be their only resource, and I certainly don’t want to do their installs. Doing my own is fine because I’m not worried about messing things up, and because the time I am spending directly benefits me. Working on someone else’s install will never be a quick – or even one-time – job, and it’s better left to the professionals for newbies.
Do you really need it?
Nope. But what does that matter? Do you need all the things you spend your money on? Smart home technology is something that I want, and I work hard to get it, install it, set it up, and keep it secure. As a result, my family has an outlet for entertainment, convenience, peace of mind, and security. So, yeah, I don’t need it, but I sure want it.
