Overlapping care and control: Insights from Romanian smart speaker users

My research delves into the intricacies of smart speakers technology and its adoption by Romanian users, despite the absence of direct sales and Romanian language support. Interest in smart devices, particularly smart speakers, has been evident in Romania since 2018. This unique context, similar to other countries in the Global South, prompted me to investigate the usage and implications of these devices. In this article, I explore the subtle and often unconscious meanings associated with smart speaker usage in Romanian households. In this article I use the concepts of “Big Mother,” “smart wife,” and “digital housekeeping” to interrogate how smart speakers are transforming the domestic sphere under the auspices of caregiving. Smart speaker usage in Romania reveals a globally prevalent technological mindset that indicates a male-dominated approach to introducing technologies into the domestic space, with women often considered passive adopters of these technologies. Although women’s roles have greatly expanded, within the domestic space, women are still struggling with secondary positions and are carrying the burdens of household management. This disparity is exacerbated by the introduction of smart speakers and similar devices, which, rather than simplifying life, complicate it and deepen the gender divide.