There is a loss of a sense of intimacy among users of technology

Do we expect more from technology

 and less from each other?

by Jennifer Minicus

At the repeated suggestion of a friend, I picked up a copy of Sherry Turkle's latest book. Although Alone, Together is for adults, I felt I should share my reaction to her research with the parents who rely on Reading Matters for advice about children's literature.

Turkle spent years interviewing a variety of people from young children to engineers. She organized her findings into two sections: one on robotics and the second on social media. Presented primarily as anecdotes, her book describes how individuals react to a wide range of technology: robotic toys, internet games, sophisticated cell phones, to name a few.

While it is impossible to describe in detail her experiences or conclusions, one recurring theme in her book is a loss of a sense of intimacy among users of technology. Those who participated in studies involving robot companions seemed to become attached to these machines as if they were human. Many subjects implied that robotic friends would be more reliable, more loyal - less demanding. Turkle wonders if we are lowering our expectations in relationships. I wonder if, as a society, we have grown accustomed to treating people as objects, and therefore a robot is the next logical progression.

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Turkle ends her book on a positive note, however. Many of the young people she interviewed demonstrated a healthy perspective on the matter.

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