|
> Who, exactly, is he talking to? Himself. Aloud. My grandmother regularly commented the stuff coming out of her radio, to her radio, including "thanking" the host after a show. Was that quirky? Yeah, sure! Was it a problem of any kind? I don't think so, because she was aware that the other side couldn't hear her. She just felt it was funny and an opportunity to vent. A colleague of mine "talks" to our servers and swears at them if they don't want to do what he wants. If they "behave", he praises them with a smile, like you would with a dog.
Yeah, also quirky, but of course he's aware that they are not alive and can't hear him. No mental illness here, IMO. Alexa et al also have the sci-fi factor ("wow, this box can talk!") going for them, which sparks joy in many people and makes them want to interact with it. Are you sure you're friends roommate is not the same? Humanizing objects and thinking that they have "personalities" (but knowing that they are not alive and, in reality, can't have any) is not a new thing and really widespread, at least in my bubble :D I agree with the rest of your post and your point in general, though. |