Amanda Hess: Raising a child requires more than just electronics

Amanda Hess, a writer for The New York Times, once approached technology with the detached curiosity of an observer. She would test new gadgets, analyze their aesthetics and impacts, write about them, and move on. This privileged distance, however, vanished when she became pregnant.

Suddenly, Hess found herself immersed in a world of products designed for expectant and new parents. AI-powered baby monitors, automated cradles, and a burgeoning community of parent influencers became central to her life. This direct engagement transformed her relationship with technology, revealing its less-discussed, often problematic, aspects.

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My relationship to technology was long that of an observer: I tried something new, tried to understand its aesthetics and effects, wrote about it and put it aside again. So I had the privileged feeling of being able to view technical developments from a certain distance.

Her previous experience with pregnancy was one of avoidance. Now, facing it head-on, she felt a new kind of vulnerability and receptiveness to the market catering to this life stage. This shift marked a profound change from her earlier, more analytical and distant stance on technological developments.

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When I became pregnant, that changed. I was pregnant for the first time, knew little about it and had spent most of my life avoiding pregnancy. Suddenly, I was vulnerable and receptive to these products in a way that was new to me.