Smart homes seem like a dream come true. They’ll have automated control over lighting, climate, entertainment systems, and appliances. Ever since the first smart home technology products became available in the early 2000’s, thousands have been eagerly awaiting the day when smart homes become a reality. In the midst of all this excitement, it is critical to stop and consider more down-to-earth factors such as cost and safety, and determine whether they are really worth the hype.
As with any new technology, only a few people can afford the cost of installing a smart home system. Prices start at around five hundred and go until ten thousand dollars for complete automation, which seems difficult to justify simply for added ease and convenience. While it would be nice to have lights, plugs, and thermostats automatically turn on and off, most people aren’t willing to pay thousands of dollars for it. There’s also a security issue. Any smart house will be completely dependent on the internet, and on the companies who designed the house.
On the other hand, the enormous convenience factor is too big to ignore. Being able to connect all the devices in your home through one interface adds an unparalleled ease to daily tasks, and you only need to learn how to use one app for countless functions. Smart homes will also be accommodative of new devices, making it easy to integrate new technologies as they are released. The remote control functionality seems to be attracting a lot of hype as well. Besides the obvious wow factor, for example being able to check if you left the oven on while at work, this also has logical and practical benefits.
While one might argue that these advantages seem relatively frivolous, there are some far more important ones as well. By incorporating security and surveillance features onto your smart home network, your home security will improve dramatically, making it a worthwhile investment. Moreover, depending on how you use your smart home technology, it can make your home more energy efficient, a huge plus for combating climate change. Finally as with all the latest technology, its value is expected to appreciate in coming years.
In conclusion, while at first glance smart homes may seem like little more than a mildly useful curiosity, they actually have a plethora of practical uses. Smart homes are a technology that will certainly shape our lives for the better. While we don’t know how long we’ll have to wait before the utopian fantasy of a smart house is achieved, I think it's safe to say, they are definitely worth the hype.
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