'It's not a romantic relationship': Stories of Adoption and Abandonment of Smart Speakers at Home.

Smart speakers become increasingly ubiquitous in our homes. Consequently, we need to study how smart speakers affect the members of a household. Understanding the adoption of a smart speaker can assure it does not negatively influence the social dynamics within a household and create opportunities for further assistance. We deployed an Amazon Echo dot in nine households with 20 inhabitants who were new smart speaker users. We conducted multiple interviews, inquiring how a smart speaker was integrated into a household from day one. We investigated the development of social rules around using the device and how the smart speaker was appropriated. Users developed different strategies of using the device which altered social behaviours in some households. Further, we identified barriers and unmet requirements in introducing smart speakers to home environments. Our work contributes to an understanding of ubiquitous assistance for user groups at home.