Technology has established a big part of our lives. The coronavirus pandemic restrictions have heightened its essentiality when it comes to how we manage our jobs, our homes, and our personal relationships. The possibility of homes being controlled by a central technology seemed too futuristic to even think about in the past. Today, we can opt to have everything-our kitchens down to our garages-controlled by technological innovations.
What are smart homes?
The concept of smart homes is based on the Internet of Things or IoT. IoT is a collection of devices connected through the internet that is rapidly beginning to cover all things we used to do manually. We can throw in our laundry inside washing machines and leave the device to do all the work-not without letting us know when everything is finished. Today’s smart homes are equipped with security cameras, smart locks, smart speakers, temperature controllers, and more. In a smart home, we can control all of our smart appliances without having to operate them one by one.
The downsides?
Unfortunately, the rapid growth of smart home innovations came not without downsides. The speed in which smart devices come forces competing companies to sacrifice integral parts of these devices. The features getting thrown out of the window for the speed of production are usually security and support coverage.
Smart home device manufacturers compete to produce the best and the latest technologies to attract homeowners. Homeowners, in turn, earn convenience at the price of their home and personal safety. As with all things internet, smart devices within the IoT framework are just as vulnerable to security breaches as websites are.
Malicious hackers can invade security cameras, smart appliances, and others to work in their favor. A home’s general security system at its points of entry can be easily overridden by potential aggressors to gain access. This opens a new array of threats to the people living inside the property.
Do these downsides make traditional homes more secure?
In a traditional home where some-if not-everything needs a manual operation-digital security breaches are near impossible. A door with, for example, a euro cylinder lock or a pin tumbler lock that is not connected to a smart device cannot be controlled by external users without access inside the home. In terms of traditional security that concerns potential home invaders-traditional homes fare much better in keeping individuals and property safe. They cannot be taken control of from miles away unlike smart devices connected to a central intelligent technology.
However, the traditional home might not be equipped with smart security cameras with alarms that trip over unusual motion and automatically alert appropriate emergency responders. This is where the smart home does much better. After all, they are programmed to do what homeowners used to do. The penetrability of smart and traditional homes cannot be defined solely by accessing doors from afar or with a lockpick, it can be defined by how these types of homes react or alert the homeowners during emergency situations.
A traditional home might not have the ability to alert individuals inside the home of invaders, but the time it will take potential invaders to actually gain access to the home will take longer compared to a smart home. Breaching a smart home’s security can take months but owners cannot be made aware of it unless they get their equipment thoroughly checked. But if more smart home equipment will be produced to secure homes rather than just to make them convenient, the possibility of security breaches through the IoT will decrease significantly.
Which one is better?
If we are on the topic of which one is better at being convenient, it is smart homes. If we are looking at longevity and consistency, we will go with traditional homes. Smart homes can be a big help to homeowners without the ability to operate house items with ease and for the ones with extensive knowledge and financial ability to actually maintain one.
Smart homes are more on the expensive side, a potential smart homeowner will need to purchase new appliances, devices, switches, and plugs that are smart home compatible with each other. Maintenance can also put a dent in people’s wallets because smart home technology is prone to high-tech malfunctions that usually require sophisticated and professional repairs.
A traditional home can be maintained by seasoned homeowners who are used to doing small repairs around the house. A broken lock? Get a new one and install it. Picking the suitable type between the two will depend on your lifestyle, financial capacity, and needs. Are you prepared for the hefty price tag that comes with owning a smart home? Are you prepared to do manual work around the traditional home? Your answers to those questions will result in knowing which one is more suitable for you.
