A TED talk by Prof. Sherry Turkle
The internet and our mobile devices change our daily behaviour, but also who we are.
In her TED talk, Sherry Turkle explains how technology changed communication over the last decades. She focuses on the social issues that derive from our use of, and dependence on, this technology.
Professor Turkle received a joint doctorate in sociology and personality psychology from Harvard University and is a licensed clinical psychologist. As the director of the MIT Initiative on Technology and Self, she is an expert on mobile technology, social networking, and sociable robotics. Over the last few decades, she has studied people's relationships with technology, especially computers.
In 2011, she published the book ‘Alone Together: Why We Expect More from Technology and Less from Each Other’. This is the basis for her TED talk. Her belief is that all our modern day devices change not just what we do, but who we are. Our continuous but impersonal connection to the world is responsible for the loss of connection with the people around us.
We no longer develop the skill of self-reflection. Some individuals have difficulties having an actual conversation, where thoughts and feelings cannot be edited or deleted before sending a response. Furthermore, Turkle claims that real relationships are in danger of being replaced by the illusion of companionship without the demands of friendship.
But there is still hope. We need to learn how to use technology to make reality the life we love instead of a cyberlife. Some of her tips: find space for solitude, to think and be without being interrupted by shares, tweets or the latest news. Create sacred spaces at home where no technology is allowed, and actual conversation can arise. Listen to each other, even the boring bits. This will reveal people, their values, and mistakes, so you can get to know them on a personal, human level.
Watch the TED talk here .
by Judith Houtman, PhD Student AG Heppner
This article originally appeared in CNS Volume 7, Issue 4, Communication and Social Media
The internet and our mobile devices change our daily behaviour, but also who we are.
In her TED talk, Sherry Turkle explains how technology changed communication over the last decades. She focuses on the social issues that derive from our use of, and dependence on, this technology.
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| Sherry Turkle, Source: http://bit.ly/18Zpzac |
Professor Turkle received a joint doctorate in sociology and personality psychology from Harvard University and is a licensed clinical psychologist. As the director of the MIT Initiative on Technology and Self, she is an expert on mobile technology, social networking, and sociable robotics. Over the last few decades, she has studied people's relationships with technology, especially computers.
Our devices change not just what we do, but who we are
In 2011, she published the book ‘Alone Together: Why We Expect More from Technology and Less from Each Other’. This is the basis for her TED talk. Her belief is that all our modern day devices change not just what we do, but who we are. Our continuous but impersonal connection to the world is responsible for the loss of connection with the people around us.
We no longer develop the skill of self-reflection. Some individuals have difficulties having an actual conversation, where thoughts and feelings cannot be edited or deleted before sending a response. Furthermore, Turkle claims that real relationships are in danger of being replaced by the illusion of companionship without the demands of friendship.
Use technology to make reality the life we love
But there is still hope. We need to learn how to use technology to make reality the life we love instead of a cyberlife. Some of her tips: find space for solitude, to think and be without being interrupted by shares, tweets or the latest news. Create sacred spaces at home where no technology is allowed, and actual conversation can arise. Listen to each other, even the boring bits. This will reveal people, their values, and mistakes, so you can get to know them on a personal, human level.
Watch the TED talk here .
by Judith Houtman, PhD Student AG Heppner
This article originally appeared in CNS Volume 7, Issue 4, Communication and Social Media
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