It's in everything now. It became like a museum exhibit to me seeing the most wild things. Wifi toaster WHYY? Like I knew about smart fridges but I was seeing like overly technical smart phone connectable kettles and like some griddle made for just bacon?? Whyyy
I'm just gonna start buying every single "dumb" appliance I see at goodwill thrifting from now on. I'll make a little collection and gift some to friends who want out of the techno hellscape too. I keep thinking about the absurd amount of lights and screens on things that have no reason to have one and how fast they'll likely break. All that shit will be in landfill in like 10 years max
As a disabled person, I really like having smart devices. Sometimes it's hard to get up and switch off my lights or turn off my TV. I like having the ability to check when my laundry will be done (actually I have a smart laundromat for that, but still) because I can plan my day around it. Whether it's intentional or not, it's genuinely helpful for disabled people.
Now obviously capitalism, the vile hellbeast that it is, has found a way to profit even more off these devices than the 'dumb' alternatives. Along with the obvious problems of FBI spying and whatnot. But there are open source projects to free yourself from these services and take full control of your smart devices.
absolutely not trying to take away from anyone's personal needs and i completely understand how some people can find things like that very useful and a great quality of life. i was truly just ranting after being bombarded by seeing how many screens and connectability are in just regular appliances now. I haven't shopped for a new appliance in quite a long time in an actual appliance store. It was kinda surreal to see just how much the "smart" thing has infiltrated even the most mundane of appliances. i do think almost anything that has to connect to wifi though is likely very bad for the vast majority of people though, especially if they have to update to be used when there are thousands of similar alternatives without wifi. everyone needs different things and i'm fortunate that i don't most things to have a screen on it to be able to use it and it was all a bit eye opening, especially when imagining where a lot of this stuff is actually headed with how bloated it has become.
There are some massive issues with IoT, like what you have pointed here and what I have said in my comment. But if you do the research to get the right product, you can probably have a house full of smart devices on entirely open source firmware. I am fortunate enough to have the ability to make my own smart devices with cheap electronics and some 3d printed parts when the need arises even, because of open source projects like esphome. There are people working to crack all of these devices open and keep them running and secure for years to come.
If it's any consolation, nearly every kitchen 'gadget' you see in an infomercial or in the kitchen section of sharper image was originally designed to help the elderly or disabled. There is a long history of products being pushed on the abled-bodied so that it's profitable to make them for the disabled.
there is sadly just no middle ground in capitalism most of the time. we're in the golden era(lmao) of smart devices becoming a functional and useful feature for many people and at the same time it's constantly skewing towards a more idealistic and less functional device. Strides are made while we also take multiple leaps backwards in functionality. progress is definitely being made but what i saw today was a gross way to force so much pretend advancements in appliances, it just made me really annoyed to think this might truly be the future of household items.