Alone Together:

Why We Expect More from Technology

and Less from Each Other
Author: Sherry Turkle
By: Brad Thompson, Nicole Warner, Nick Gustoff, and Bailey Huggins,

 The Robotic Moment

Robots as Companions
Chapters 1-3

Robots as Caretakers

Major Themes

Chapters 4-7

Networking
Intimacy and Solitude
Chapters 8-11

Social Networks and Ideal

Self
Chapters 12-14

Robots as
Companions

Examples of Interactive Technology

Tamagotchi
Small Virtual Pets
Furby
Interactive Electronic Figure
Aibo Robot Dog
Companion Robot
Do not produce waste like normal dogs

Why are Humans Interested in Relationships

with Technology?
Humans love interaction with technology

We can control the responses

Less prone to emotional pain

Technological relationships are everlasting

Less effort needed

Robots are loyal

Robot will not judge their owner

Are Robots our Companions?

Ch 3: True Companions
He says that, talking to AIBO makes you better, like, if youre bored or tired or
down...because youre actually, like interacting with something. Its nice to get thought
out, (Turkle 55).

Why Robot Companions?

Keith, 17 is leaving for college next year and is taking his AIBO with him
Logan, Keith's roommate does the same
When Logan says, Its nice to get thoughts out this suggests that
robots are giving us a chance to know ourselves better.
They are starting to be the ones to do the caring

Robots as
Caretakers

Robot Babysitters!?
Ch 4: Enhancement
Children have moved from taking care of Tamagotchis and Furbies to
fantasies of being watched over by benign and competent digital
proctors,(Turkle 70).
Why Robot Babysitters?
They are always ready for emergencies!
More Practical: Dont panic, stress, fear, or get scared
Can easily call for help with computer technology inside them

Elderly Care

Chapter 6: Loves Labor

Lost
Some robots are
designed to deliver
medication to the
elderly to help them
reach for grocery items
on high shelves, and to
monitor their safety. A
robot can detect if an
elderly person is lying
on the floor at home, a
possible signal of
distress,
(Turkle 108).

Continued...
Some people argue that robot caretakers are not necessary, because it
is more important to have human companionship, HOWEVER;
Robots are always ALERT!!
Never sleep
Have more time
We learned to take industrial robots in stride when they were proposed
for factory assembly lines. Now the work envisaged for machines is
the work of caring, (Turkle 108).

Networking:
Intimacy and
Solitude

Communication vs Presence
Chapter 8:
What is a place if those who are physically present have their
attention on the absent? (Turkle)
My concern is that the connected life encourages us to treat those
we meet online in something of the same way we treat objects-with
dispatch (Turkle)
Communication: Is the Quality Improving?

Imagery: People interacting at a regular cafe vs internet caf

The means of which to communicate have increased
The means of sharing intimacy have not increased

Tethering to Others
Chapter 9:
The text-driven world of rapid response does not make self-reflection
impossible but does little to cultivate it
A Loss of Independence
Parents can always check up on kids
Less time to reflect means more time to soak in a peers opinion
Collaborative self vs independent self
Ex: Teenage girl feels upset and immediately texts friends

The Silent Voice

Chapter 10:
In text, messaging, and email, you hide as much as you show.
(Turkle)
Voice
Telephone conversations require more attention
Communication tech gradually requires less and less attention
Telephone, texting, messaging, Facebook, Instagram(Pictures Only),Twitter
(Character Limits), Youtube (Short Videos), Vine (6 Second Videos)

By removing voice, we lose something inherently human and intimate

The Screen of Protection

Technology easily shields the writer from the view of the reader
Benefits include
The recipient cant see the process of revision
More time is given to think of a response
It is a place where one can easily reflect, retype, and edit
Easier to open up
However;
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Tone can be misunderstood

Can easily ignore someone
Lacks intimacy
Lacks authenticity
Responses are calculated

Networking:
Social Media and
Ideal Self (Bailey)

Social Media Presence

Ideal Self

Teenagers make it clear that games, worlds, and social networking (on the surface,
rather different) have much in common. They all ask you to compose and project an
identity Sherry Turkle

Does Social Media Cause Us to Create

an Ideal Self?

Magazines

People, and US Weekly

T.V. shows

Reality TV

Oprah

Do we dress and act according to the social media?

Do we project ourselves differently on social media then in real life?

References

http://www.statisticbrain.com/social-networking-statistics/

Turkle, Sherry. Alone Together: Why We Expect More from Technology and Less
from Each Other. New York: Basic, 2012. Print.