Tell us about Alexa and how it is used by your family

Amazon hasn’t figured how to get customers to purchase things with Alexa, its digital assistant. DisappointmentFor the benefit of the company. We want to know how Alexa works for people who really matter, and we have seen poor results from Amazon’s Alexa product.

If you have already purchased a Smart speaker or displayWe’d love to hear your thoughts about Alexa, a voice-controlled digital assistant. Do you and your family still use it? If so, how do you go about getting rid of it?

I am an editor at the Tech bureau of The New York Times. My sons are 6 and 8. Alexa asks a first grader what the weather is before he gets dressed in the morning. He and his brother use the device to check math, solve problems and control the music in our home.

They’re too young for phones, so Alexa gives them access to the digital world — and without the bad stuff like online predators.

When my children ask me a question, I don’t bring my phone to the table to search it. Ask Alexa. I help them to ask the correct question and it’s similar to imagining how their parents taught them how to use reference books.

I’m curious about how other families use voice assistants. Let us know what surprised you about your children asking Alexa, or how you made them do it. We want to hear your stories about any cool parenting or life hacks you have found using them.

We are also curious to know if Assistant is being used in the way Amazon intended, such as when you shop online with it. It could result in you signing up to one of the company’s subscription services such as Prime or Audible. Or maybe you found it to be a waste — and creepy.

We will publish a selection from your responses in a future article on the use of digital assistants by families. Without first contacting the you, we will not publish any portion of your message. We may use your contact information for follow-up.