Gentle Betrayals
Monotone™ Smart Speaker
Says 'I'm proud of you' in a flat tone.
$149
Monotone™ is a voice-activated smart speaker equipped with a library of 400 affirmations, all recorded by the same voice actor in a single three-hour session that he now refuses to discuss. The result is a device that tells you, in a completely flat voice, that you are doing well.
"I'm proud of you." "That was brave." "You handled that maturely." Each statement is factually supportive. None of them carry any emotional weight whatsoever.
In blind trials, 61% of participants reported that the affirmations made them feel slightly worse than silence. 27% reported they made them feel the same. The remaining 12% found them clarifying.
Works with most smart-home platforms. Does not learn from conversation. Does not adjust its tone. Ever.
Field Review
“I told it I finished the report. It said, 'That is an accomplishment.' It was not an accomplishment. I knew that. It knew that.”
— Elaine K., Chicago
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