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
People are lonely. The network is seductive. But if we are always on, we may deny ourselves the rewards of solitude.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote highlights the tension between connectivity and solitude, suggesting that constant engagement with technology can lead to feelings of loneliness.
Sherry Turkle's quote emphasizes the paradox of modern connectivity through technology, suggesting that while networks and online interactions can be alluring and provide a sense of connection, they may also detract from the valuable experience of solitude. In our quest to remain 'always on' and connected, we risk missing out on the personal rewards that come from self-reflection and true solitude, highlighting a critical tension in contemporary life where social media often replaces genuine human interaction.
Themes
LonelinessTechnologySolitudeConnectionSelf-Reflection
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a speech about the impacts of technology on mental health.
More from Sherry Turkle
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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.
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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.
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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.
Sherry TurkleRead
The feeling that 'no one is listening to me' make us want to spend time with machines that seem to care about us.
Sherry TurkleRead
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