Parents Demand Amazon To Change Alexa's Name To Stop Bullying

change Alexa's name Alexa Amazon virtual assistant Jeff Bezos bullying Alexa bullying Laura Johnson Alexa is human digital assistant

By Lilian Scott , Parent Herald Jul 05, 08:41 am

Photo: (Photo : Andrew Matthews - PA Images/Contributor/Getty Images)

Girls named Alexa are increasingly becoming the subject of bullying and jokes in school, prompting parents to ask Amazon to change Alexa's name, which is now associated with the tech giant's popular virtual assistant.

According to a report on the BBC, the name Alexa has been causing problems for its human namesakes and their parents. Some of the schools also don't know how to handle the bullying incidents that one family decided to go to court for their daughter to change her name from Alexa to Heather after she experienced social stigma. The family also moved their daughter to a different school.

READ: Amazon Alexa Is Making 'Alexa' As A Baby Name Less Popular Among Parents

Another parent said that her 6-year-old Alexa is already being singled out and picked on in school or at the park, causing her to clam up and lose self-confidence. The child told her mother that she wishes people didn't know her name.

It's the same sentiment for 8-year-old Alexa, who said that kids in her Bible camp pretend and tease that she is the virtual assistant. Her mother realized the gravity of the situation when even the other kids in school and her peer groups have been doing the same thing to her daughter.

Why Amazon Chose Alexa

Amazon released Alexa on their online store in 2014. It follows commands from its users by calling out its name. The digital assistant stores a wealth of knowledge to help users needing information on just about anything.

Reports cited that Jeff Bezos, the billionaire behind the tech company, had thought of many names for their popular device, including Samantha, Finch, Friday, and Amazon. Eventually, it settled on Alexa as a "wake word" with a "distinct combination of phonemes," which could have a fantastic brand recall similar to Apple's Siri. It was also a tribute to the Library of Alexandria in Egypt, known as the largest library for knowledge and information about the ancient period.

Despite the device's popularity, with a recorded global sales of 146.9 million in 2019, Amazon doesn't advertise that users could actually change Alexa's name. There is a setting on the app for both Android and iOS devices that allows the owners to select a more generic name, such as "Computer," or "Echo," or "Amazon."

Alexa is a Human

Mom Laura Johnson created an awareness campaign website to remind the world that there are actual human beings behind the name Alexa. She said that it hurts her to learn that her 9-year-old daughter's name has been associated with "servant or slave," and it's giving people the license to treat her Alexa "in a subservient manner."

RELATED ARTICLE: How to Respond when Your Child is Bullied

She urged every person named Alexa to fight for their name and said that it must be Amazon's call to change Alexa's name and not their children.

In response, Amazon said in a statement that they made their voice assistant as a reflection of the qualities they love in humans -- "smart, considerate, empathetic, and inclusive." They are saddened by the stories of these bullied children. They condemned the acts of bullying but didn't say if they will change Alexa's name.