When I think about smart home products, I expect them to make my life easier. I expect a heightened convenience in my life, and, I confess, I also end up feeling like a rock star. I know that when I set up my smart locks, I’m going to be able to head out on a run without having to carry my key in my sock or my bra or wherever else I can securely hold it. I know that my Roomba is busy picking up all my miscellaneous crumbs, so that I don’t have to vacuum as much. But, what about the unexpected things that happen as a result of having smart home products? Here are a few things that happened in my life, or the life of my friends, that we did not see coming.
You meet your neighbors.
I have a friend that owns a house and is super into using smart home technology for his lawn. He has a watering system, and he also recently tried a smart lawn mower. His neighbors, who have never shown an interest in him before, let their curiosity get the best of them and ventured over to check out the equipment. My friend and his neighbors ended up chatting for a while, and discovering some things they had in common. My friend even gave them a tour of his place and showed them the other ways he is using smart home tech to save on his energy bills and keep his home secure.
Kids actually think you’re cool.
I don’t have kids, but I do have nieces and nephews. Showing off my smart home technology is the only way to get them to take their noses out of their own cell phones and tablets. They even engage me with questions and want to shoot videos of my smart home in action to post on their Instagram and Snapchat account. Of course, the flip side to this is that they now beg their parents for smart home tech – that makes me unpopular with the adults.
You end up hosting a LOT more.
All of sudden, everyone wants to come to my house for game night, to watch Game of Thrones, or to do an at-home spa night. It seems that my friends always have new friends too, since they are always bringing someone with them that I haven’t met before. The first half of the night is usually me showing off and explaining how my smart house works.
You stop being late.
I may be that person that is always running a couple of minutes late. And because I’m usually running late, I’m always worried that I’ve forgotten to do something important, like turn off my curling iron or my air conditioning, or lock my doors. I end up going back and checking things a few times, which makes me even later. With smart home tech, though, I know that I can connect on-the-go and turn off smart outlets, lock my doors, and turn off lights. The peace of mind helps me stay (mostly) on time.
What unexpected outcomes have you encountered since you started using smart home technology?
Photo by: Kai Chan Vong
