Comment by jolmg
6 years ago
> I don't believe anyone actually thinks like that
You'd be surprised. The world is vast and gender roles are traditional in many cultures.
6 years ago
> I don't believe anyone actually thinks like that
You'd be surprised. The world is vast and gender roles are traditional in many cultures.
It's one thing to subscribe to gender roles traditional to your culture, but a totally different thing to base your attitude towards women on the perceived gender of a virtual assistant on your phone.
You can kind of make a logical link if you try, but I don't believe that's how it plays out in reality. It'll possibly be more relevant if/when these virtual assistants become indistinguishable from humans and perhaps have a physical form.
> but a totally different thing to base your attitude towards women on the perceived gender of a virtual assistant on your phone.
Well, if you say "base", then yeah that's very unlikely. However, their attitude doesn't need to be based on that, it could simply be supported by it, even a little bit.
If all your life you've seen women in a "serving" sort of role, like seeing only female nurses serving your medicine, female waitresses serving your food, female caretakers serving your kids and elders, female maids serving your house needs, and even your female-sounding phone serving your electronic needs, then in aggregate and in time that sets an idea, even a subconscious one, that contributes to your understanding of how the world works.
I don't see this genderless voice as being the solution to a problem. I see it as them just trying to do their small part in a change they want to see.