Internet of Too Many Things

I'll be honest. I'm not on the Internet of Things bandwagon. I'm all for the latest fancy gadget, but I think in some ways we get way out of control. I'm looking at you, Alexa. Full disclosure: I'm not an Amazon Prime member, although we're considering it. So maybe that's my problem. But according to a report I heard today (at a family Christmas), the thing Alexa is asked to do most is set a timer. Why do I need something separate to do that? I have Siri and an iPhone 7+ for that. And pushing a button to turn up or down music isn't too stressful on my thumbs. The more fancy our stuff gets, the more fancy stuff can go out. We just got rid of our washer and dryer after 12 years. New appliances, with lights and sounds galore that don't serve any functional purpose, aren't expected to last half that. Like I said, I love shiny objects, but some just enable our laziness.