If people start to buy the idea that machines are great companions for the elderly or for children, as they increasingly seem to do, we are really playing with fire.
Sherry TurkleRead
We think constant connection will make us feel less lonely. The opposite is true.
Interpretation
Being constantly connected does not necessarily reduce feelings of loneliness; rather, it can increase them.
In this quote, Sherry Turkle highlights the paradox of modern communication technology. Despite the convenience and semblance of connection offered by digital platforms, they can lead to a greater sense of isolation rather than alleviate loneliness. Turkle suggests that true connection requires deeper engagement than superficial online interactions.
In practice
A speaker at a mental health seminar discussing the effects of social media on emotional well-being.
If people start to buy the idea that machines are great companions for the elderly or for children, as they increasingly seem to do, we are really playing with fire.
We live in a technological universe in which we are always communicating. And yet we have sacrificed conversation for mere connection.
The most used program in computers and education is PowerPoint. What are you learning about the nature of the medium by knowing how do to a great PowerPoint presentation? Nothing. It certainly doesn't teach you how to think critically about living in a culture of simulation.
Technology is seductive when what it offers meets our human vulnerabilities. And as it turns out, we are very vulnerable indeed. We are lonely but fearful of intimacy. Digital connections and the sociable robot may offer the illusion of companionship without the demands of friendship. Our networked life allows us to hide from each other, even as we are tethered to each other. Weβd rather text than talk.
Human relationships are rich and they're messy and they're demanding. And we clean them up with technology. Texting, email, posting, all of these things let us present the self as we want to be. We get to edit, and that means we get to delete, and that means we get to retouch, the face, the voice, the flesh, the body -- not too little, not too much, just right.
The feeling that 'no one is listening to me' make us want to spend time with machines that seem to care about us.
The general impression is that fifteen year-old Dolly remains morbidly uninterested in sexual matters, or to be exact, represses her curiosity in order to save her ignorance and self-dignity.
Like officer Dave.He's never said much about his life, but I can tell he's scarred. And he knows I'm scarred too. The wounded always recognize the wounded. We can smell each other.
When you make mistakes, when you're wrong, you should admit you're wrong and ask people to forgive you.
What I'd like is to meet a man I could take off my hat to and say: "Thank you for having got born, and the longer you live the better.
According to the Hindu way of thinking, marriage is rather a duty than a privilege.
What if the idea of Mr. Right is completely false? What if there is no Mr. Wrong? What if every relationship-no matter how brief-contains a priceless lesson allowing you to grow and evolve into your grandest self?
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