Alone Together: Why We Expect More from Technology and Less from Each Other by Sherry Turkle

Jan 22, 2013 Brigid *Flying Kick-a-pow!* rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-for-school, books-of-summer-11

This book has become the laughing stock of Hampshire College. (Which, if you don't know, is the college I've recently started to attend.) The author's last name, Turkle, is now being used as a verb all over campus. For example:

Two people are talking face-to-face. One person, while in conversation with the other person, takes out a phone (or other such electronic device) and starts texting. This person is Turkling.

There's also the Awkward Turkle––which is when you do the Awkward Turtle but up ne...more

27 likes · like · see review

Feb 14, 2012 MG rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Alone Together: Why We Expect More from Technology and Less from Each Other by MIT professor Sherry Turkle is one of the most enlightening books about the ethical and social repercussions of technology I have ever read. Interestingly, I read it on my Kindle, where I recently learned how to use the highlighting and notes function. So my review isn't so much a review as a reflection on some of the most meaningful quotations from the work.

The first half of the work is devoted to Turkle's discussion...more Alone Together: Why We Expect More from Technology and Less from Each Other by MIT professor Sherry Turkle is one of the most enlightening books about the ethical and social repercussions of technology I have ever read. Interestingly, I read it on my Kindle, where I recently learned how to use the highlighting and notes function. So my review isn't so much a review as a reflection on some of the most meaningful quotations from the work.

The first half of the work is devoted to Turkle's discussion of the use of robots to help people. She focuses her discussion on how robot pets and babies can ease the loneliness of the elderly in retirement homes. This, of course, is in response to the feelings of abandonment felt by people who are now seen as a burden to the younger generation. Turkle describes different experiments in which senior citizens and children (two of the most emotionally vulnerable groups) are given robots that can respond to the human voice and human touch. She then documents words and experiences of specific individuals, showing the emotional connections that the young and old can create with these objects. While I didn't find this section of the book as interesting as the second part, one cannot help but feel a kind of collective shame in being part of a society that would imagine the need for such things. Turkle, however, does not condemn as much as remind us that human needs are complex, and how we frame our ethical and social challenges are just as crucial as deliberating on the possible solutions for them.

The second part of the work focuses on the impact of social networks, gaming, and virtual worlds on people's lives and relationships. While there's a good deal here that I have thought about many times before, Turkle's exposition is an effective showing and not mere telling of her beliefs. She interviews high school students, computer programmers, young professionals, and people of the pre-Internet generation and asks them about their use of technology in their everyday lives. What they have to say about how technology creates chronic demands on them and steers them to a life of loneliness and isolation is unsettling but not surprising. When we are always connected, we can no longer tolerate the idea of being alone, of not having someone respond to what we say or think. Ironically, of course, this emphasis on media performance only debilitates us socially in an interpersonal sense (if one can still even think of the world this way). We "forget" the value of stillness and solitude that can revivify our lives, lending them purpose and meaning, and strengthen our relationships. Instead, solitude frightens us. Turkle explains quite profoundly: "Loneliness is failed solitude."

I'm not a Luddite and neither is Turkle. What she proposes in the end is an examination of our values and the ways in which we frame social, even existential, problems--each are crucial to a healthier understanding of ourselves in an age of invasive technology: "What I call realtechnik suggests that we step back and reassess when we hear triumphalist or apocalyptic narratives about how to live with technology. Realtechnik is skeptical about linear progress. It encourages humility, a state of mind in which we are most open to facing problems and reconsidering decisions." The Net, she states, is still young, but the human beings who have imagined the technology we know today is not. As technology advances, always ready to "be" for us what in reality should only remain a "seem" (to quote the poet Wallace Steven's words in "The Emperor of Ice Cream") so must our understanding of what is fundamentally human: "When we are at our best, thinking about technology brings us back to questions about what really matters."(less)

9 likes · like · see review

Mar 14, 2012 Moira Russell added it

Shelves: ebook, on-the-kindle, 2012-50-new-books-challenge

Poorly written and not that well-researched -- and my eyes glazed over so much during the long first half about robots I didn't retain much about it -- but the second half, which discusses avatars, Second Life, Skype, texting, Facebook, WoW, and so on, was a lot better, and helped me articulate some of the misgivings I've been having recently about the time I spend on the internet.

It was interesting, and saddening, she spent almost no time on blogging and the "classic" journaling sites like Live...more Poorly written and not that well-researched -- and my eyes glazed over so much during the long first half about robots I didn't retain much about it -- but the second half, which discusses avatars, Second Life, Skype, texting, Facebook, WoW, and so on, was a lot better, and helped me articulate some of the misgivings I've been having recently about the time I spend on the internet.

It was interesting, and saddening, she spent almost no time on blogging and the "classic" journaling sites like LiveJournal, Blogger, Diaryland, well-known bloggers like Neil Gaiman or Cory Doctorow, or even corporate "blogs" (essentially press releases - but look what happened in Netflix's comments section when they announced the death of DVDs). It's all about Facebook and Twitter and texting, in no small part because the book is focused on very young people (it's essentially a "letter" to her college-age daughter). I first got on the internet basically to blog and for free web-based email, in 2000, and the drinking-from-the-firehose effect of Twitter, Tumblr, Facebook and other sites seems overwhelming and superficial to me. But there I am anyway, at least on G+ and Twitter, trading bits of my identity for bytes of connection. Not a good bargain.

Like some other reviewers here, I also felt the book was pretty much two disconnected halves -- I kept waiting for something like an insight about how the robot nannies and nurses described in the first part resemble the virtual selves and 'weak connections' detailed in the second, but no dice. The argument is pretty convincing that the internet is built on hundreds and thousands of weak connections -- strangers 'liking' a post on Facebook, or a review on GoodReads, a photograph on Flickr, what have you. Is there that much difference between a cadre of silent lurkers -- 'friends' or 'readers' -- and the wondrously detailed motion capture in modern films, or endlessly attentive robot nannies? Probably not. She struggles at the end to come up with a "it's not going away so we have to know how to deal with it" conclusion; probably noone today would buy a book that points out the real core problem with the simulacra is that it is, in fact, inauthentic. The virtual Emperor has no (tangible) clothes.
(less)

6 likes · like · see review

Aug 04, 2011 Roger Haskins added it · review of another edition

Wow. Yeah. Can humans find companionship with robots? Should they? 2 years ago I would've thought the author was stretching for scify stories. After working at Verizon and seeing the disproportionate emotional responses people give when their device doesn't work as expected i totally agree with her. Consider the difference between having friends and being "friended" and for too many it is the difference between getting what you want and getting what we think we want. The book does a great job lo...more

5 likes · like · see review

Mar 24, 2013 Sanju marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Sticking this in my want-to list, but Minnie didn't like it, so maybe not. I first heard of this book from an article on Aziz Ansari (http://www.washingtonpost.com/enterta...). But, what caught my eye about it is that so many recent conversations with people have revolved around the paradox that we seem to be hyperconnected these days and yet, for so many people, there seems to be an increasing pathos of disconnectedness and isolation in general. The other day, Marcel said to me that he doesn't...more

like · see review

Feb 05, 2013 Lisa rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

First, I can't escape the irony of writing a review of this book for a social media website. I hope that the author can appreciate that! Like many other reviewers, I really wanted to like this book. The first half of the book deals with human-robot interactions including research conducted by Turkle and her colleagues. She does a great job of describing the results for a popular audience. The second half of the book pertains to every mode of on-line communication: gaming, chat rooms, IM, social...more

3 likes · like · see review

Dec 14, 2012 Lauren Ruth rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

What a good book this is! Humane, filled with common-sense, and refreshing.

The writing is not graceful—it's a bit wordy, repetitive, occasionally ponderous. It's not as well-organized or tight as it could be, either—somewhat redundant in ideas as well as words. But these are minor quibbles compared to how well this book does on the two critical aspects of nonfiction: the importance of the topic, and the arguments and insights it offers. In these, it shines.

The two main sections of Alone Together...more What a good book this is! Humane, filled with common-sense, and refreshing.

The writing is not graceful—it's a bit wordy, repetitive, occasionally ponderous. It's not as well-organized or tight as it could be, either—somewhat redundant in ideas as well as words. But these are minor quibbles compared to how well this book does on the two critical aspects of nonfiction: the importance of the topic, and the arguments and insights it offers. In these, it shines.

The two main sections of Alone Together consider our engagements with first, robots and robotic toys; next, social networks. Her argument can be summed up with this quote from the introduction: "we seem determined to give human qualities to objects and content to treat each other as things." (p. xiv)

As a researcher of long standing at MIT, Turkle has far more access to robots than I do; so for me, the first section read more as a warning about what's coming, while I had no trouble relating whole-heartedly to the lamentations of the second. Still, after decades of watching actors play androids, speaking lines written by screenwriters rather than assembled by programmers, it's useful to be reminded that, inside the hardware embodying Kismet, Cog, Paro, Furby, or your Tamagotchi, nobody's home. You've been studied, and responses that elicit an emotional response from you have been programmed; that's all. What robots offer is is mimicry, not understanding. That we're so easy to fool speaks volumes about our willingness to be fooled. Are we really so lonely?

Evidently, to go by the social networking discussions. Boy, am I glad that my adolescence encompassed merely LSD and assassinations, and my heart was free to break without the ceaseless need to groom my Facebook profile, or respond to text messages within ten minutes no matter what. Not a new thought, but I had no idea how extreme matters have become. I realize lots of people get good at Guitar Hero because it's easier than learning to play the guitar, but I’d never reflected on how hollow it must feel to be robbed of real accomplishments in so many spheres of your life at once. And I thought I knew about Second Life—ha! I'm haunted by the guy who tells Turkle, while watching his kids at the playground, that he starts his day by engaging his avatar in interactive sex animations with the avatar of a person he's never met, and probably never will. And that this enables him to stay in his marriage. Bleak. So bleak.

I could go on—the book's stuffed with fascinating vignettes, well chosen and sharply drawn, to advance her argument— but you get the idea. Just because you can do something, doesn't mean you should. But try telling that to enthusiastic, myopic, greedy, lonely, vulnerable us.(less)

2 likes · like · see review

Sep 26, 2012 Shana rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Having utilized Turkle’s previous work in support of my undergraduate thesis, I was surprised to see that she is somewhat less enthusiastic about technological advances as she used to be. I don’t think this change in sentiment is unique to her and I can definitely relate to some of the same misgivings.

There are two distinct components in this book. First, Turkle covers robots: their evolution, our interactions with them, the roles they are supposed to play, etc. She discusses how children unders...more

1 like · like · see review

Aug 22, 2012 Jeremy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

My natural inclination is toward technological optimism, and toward quantitative research. This book doesn't have much of either. As I began the book, I found myself arguing with Dr. Turkle's assumptions and the obvious coloring that her preconceived ideas gave her research. I longed for objectivity and proof.

While I still think that Dr. Turkle's arguments would be bolstered by a more objective, data-based approach, I began to see the value of her research. She writes about mothers who pay more...more

like · see review

Jul 17, 2012 Mjhancock rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: digital-media, scholarly

Sherry Turkle argues that we need to take a step back and think about how our networked technology and distance from fellow human beings are negatively affecting us. Her book is divided into two broad parts: section one looks at human relationships with robots, and section two looks at human use of communication technology. The methodology is basically the same throughout; Turkle bases her results on the analysis she performs on interviews and studies she performed of children, adults, and the e...more Sherry Turkle argues that we need to take a step back and think about how our networked technology and distance from fellow human beings are negatively affecting us. Her book is divided into two broad parts: section one looks at human relationships with robots, and section two looks at human use of communication technology. The methodology is basically the same throughout; Turkle bases her results on the analysis she performs on interviews and studies she performed of children, adults, and the elderly using digital technology. It's basically pop scholarship, but Turkle constantly references underlying structure of psychoanalytic and sociological theory behind it. While the divisions aren't absolute, different chapters tend to focus on slightly different technologies. Robots studied include the Tamagotchi, Furby, My Real Baby, the robot dog AIBO, the MIT robots Cog and Kismet, and Paro the sociable seal-like robot. And throughout, Turkle's concern is that the robots are being used as companions to replace companionship that human beings should provide. The networked section includes Second Life, texting, phone monitoring, the decline of actual phone calls, designing a Facebook persona, and so forth, with the concern here being that we're sacrificing meaningful interaction for something that leaves us less vulnerable, but less fulfilled. The book is a rather large reversal from Turkle's previous position, but whereas before she was a bit too utopian, this book strikes me as a bit too dystopian. There's also an unspoken human essentialism behind it, in that no robot can duplicate the human touch, or no text message equal the emotionality of the human voice. It's a little easier to take her side in the second half, where she argues against the current overuse of communication technology than in the first half, which is on the near future replacement of human companionship with robots. Ultimately, what's at stake here is the human relationship with technology. I think Turkle goes a bit far in the direction of technological determinism, but taking some time to reflect on our technological habits is rarely a bad idea.(less)

1 like · like · see review

Jun 18, 2012 Katie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I am genuinely confused when I see reviews on Goodreads about this book that claim that this book is "poorly researched" and that the premise of this book is that "Turkle hates technology." I have not ever read a more thoughtful, well-researched, well-reasoned account of the way we use technology today. If Turkle is missing statistics and bar graphs, that is because she is a psychologist by trade, not a statistician. She studies people--our thoughts and feelings. She is more anthropologist than...more

12 likes · like · see review

May 31, 2012 Ed Lehner added it · review of another edition

Recently, I read an article by Jonah Lehrer. He started this article by warmly responding to a negative book review which he received. Lehrer’s smart reply gave me some ideas about reviewing other’s work. In fact, after reading his reply, I have some misgivings about reviewing a person’s work negatively. Constructively critiquing each other’s work is something I think we are still working on in social media. But how is that done? How do I warmly critique someone’s work? Yet, before I start my re...more Recently, I read an article by Jonah Lehrer. He started this article by warmly responding to a negative book review which he received. Lehrer’s smart reply gave me some ideas about reviewing other’s work. In fact, after reading his reply, I have some misgivings about reviewing a person’s work negatively. Constructively critiquing each other’s work is something I think we are still working on in social media. But how is that done? How do I warmly critique someone’s work? Yet, before I start my review, I also think that we appraise the work which speaks to us. And, in the most profound ways, this book, Alone Together, speaks to me. This is why I spend an hour in late May to record my thoughts on a book published nearly two years ago.

With that said, I am not an adherent to Sherry Turkle’s perspectives advanced in Alone Together Alone. Turkle’s ideas seem to advance a type of mechanical determinism. In particular, she contends that social media is metering out a type of group think fostered by the new media culture and its devices. In some ways, it seems that there are two types of thinking in our new social media age. I think many of social media’s thought leaders are too uncritical of social media. Yet, I will tackle the “a critical” tone of social media at another time. Today, with my comments on Turkle’s work, I am not concerned about an uncomplicated understanding of social life. Her ideas are appropriately complex. Yet, at important times, Turkle seems too much of a psychoanalyst. That is, her theoretical framework of dysfunction seems to be the only lens through which she views the culture which has developed around social media. And, in this way, I wonder the extent to which the Academy can speak to issues in social media if their frameworks are strictly orthodox. This may be the case with Turkle. Her analysis is too deeply seeped in one framework to tell the full story about social media and its current impact on society.

First, I understand that I am coming late to this party. Turkle’s work has been out since the beginning of 2011. However, social media has had growing traction in this time. My reading of Turkle seems to have changed somewhat given the time since it has been release. In particular, I have noticed how Turkle seems to have one response to the growing reach of social media- a negative one. To a degree, I understand this. She highlights how both teenagers and parents are distracted by their mobile devices. And, I believe there are concerns about the ways mobile technology and social media platforms are influencing the process of thinking.

Turkle, especially on the second reading, lays-out what seems to be a relatively uncomplicated understanding of technology. I know this seems somewhat strange given that Turkle has been studying the influence of technology for nearly 30 years. And there are caveats- Turkle never outwardly frames her arguments so straightforwardly. Yet, on reflection, I wonder about the academic’s role in social media. In particular, I wonder if someone like Turkle can fully tackle social media. More completely, Turkle’s theoretical framework of psychoanalysis may be too pronounced. I wonder if it can bring practically insightful understandings to social media. Going even further, I am not convinced that Turkle’s theoretical framework is sufficiently complex to understand social media because the framework itself often provides much the analysis rather than the data.

For example, in the introduction, Turkle outlines the “robotic moment” in ways that are too Freudian for me. In fact, I found the introduction, which lays the structure for the book, is too “tethered” to notions of dysfunction to provide a relatively objective perspective. I found the examples provided somewhat bombastic. From the turtles in the American Museum of Natural History to focusing on an arcane figure like David Levy, it was all too unbelievable.

Social Media’s Thought Leaders: Reflections on Sherry’s Turkle’s Alone Together
This is not to say that Turkle has not made a number of salient points. She consistently points out that there is a tendency for many of us to prefer the “technological” experience to an authentic one. I tend to fully agree with her in this case. Turkle is right. There is a type of simulacrum that permeates some aspects of social media. However, in many parts of this book, I think Turkle could have employed a more fully complex theoretical context to the problem. I think using other frameworks may have been helpful. For example, Jean Baudrillard way of understanding of integration of symbols, relationships, and society could have been an illuminating use of theory. In particular, Baudrillard outlines four distinct semiotic stages of simulacra and simulation. The integration of theoretical frameworks may more fully reflect the ways in which social life is enacted in the world of social media.

This brings me to our last point: the role of the academic in the growing field of social media. I am not fully sure I know how to answer this question. Yet, if the academic brings her epistemological frameworks to bear, it may not be completely helpful to the academic or the field. First, I think it is not helpful to the field of social media because the theories are too rigid. There is often too little room for nuanced arguments. However, in enacted life, nuance is the rule not the exception. Additionally, academics are commissioned to study social life. However, in doing so, they may unconsciously employ understandings of social life which to too bound to a philosophical position that does not describe the problem at hand.
(less)

1 like · like · see review

Mar 20, 2012 Kami rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: essential-socially-aware-reading, research

This is a great exploration of where we might be going in our enthusiasm for having computers do the things that only 'intelligent' beings once did. I found it tough to get through, though, possibly in part because it was a bit longer and more rambling than it needed to be (although I think I appreciated the additional reading in the form of references to follow up on), but largely because it's profoundly depressing at times. With so many stories of teenagers who feel trapped on Facebook, plus d...more This is a great exploration of where we might be going in our enthusiasm for having computers do the things that only 'intelligent' beings once did. I found it tough to get through, though, possibly in part because it was a bit longer and more rambling than it needed to be (although I think I appreciated the additional reading in the form of references to follow up on), but largely because it's profoundly depressing at times. With so many stories of teenagers who feel trapped on Facebook, plus depictions of such unsettling things as a child's desire to have a sociable robot to fill the void left by inattentive parents and a young man with a girlfriend who becomes increasingly flirty with an MIT robot, I had to put it down and read something cheerier.

I don't regret the time I put into it at all, though. It's a great choice for researchers who want a bit of the doom-and-gloom perspective, pulling together material from some quite eminent names in various fields, and I think it also has value for the non-technical person who may not otherwise know how to question whether new technological advances are really good. Plus, this woman worked with Joseph Weizenbaum. That makes her AI royalty in my book and someone who has a right to comment on the creepy side of the field.

EDIT: After reading some other reviews, I feel compelled to make further comments.

Firstly, I'm not totally sure of my opinion about Turkle's research methods - it's not a field I know enough about or care to follow up on. I don't think it's accurate to accuse her of outright technophobia though: her narrative and previous publications indicate she's come at her opinion after years of experience. And I can attest that after a while in the AI field, or computing in general, it's possible to experience strong leanings towards the Luddite point of view. I think it as impractical in the world we have as literally sticking one's head in the sand, but there it is.

I don't think Turkle is suggesting we need to erase technology entirely, though. Her conclusion seems to be that we need to learn to exhibit control over our technology. She describes her experiences with teenagers feeling the need to take Facebook/Internet holidays, something I've experienced in my own social circle. This sort of thing has always frustrated me. Isn't it just possible to moderate one's use so that the point of complete exasperation isn't reached? I think the fact that we don't, that we allow ourselves to get more and more frustrated until we need to cold turkey it, says we could definitely handle ourselves better around our devices and sites.

One reviewer questioned the use of ELIZA alongside more recent artificial intelligence efforts. I think ELIZA still comes up with such regularity because of the fact that the program exhibited no understanding and yet inspired strong responses in the people who talked to it, people who were fully aware of what it was. I don't personally understand their behaviour. I played with downloadable ELIZA-type programs as a child and, while I would reveal all sorts of information about myself in the process of conversation, my motivation was purely to explore how the program worked. I was interested in creating a more effective program. I guess the science is strong within me.

Although I'm also comforted by other reviewers commenting that they never saw their robotic toys as 'real'. As a little girl I received talking dolls as gifts and abandoned them very quickly for non-talking dolls because the talking functions made it very clear they were not alive. I had some Dogz and Catz toys (anyone else remember these?) but lost interest in those once I figured out they had 'some kind of sensors' in them causing them to behave in certain ways. I didn't emotionally attach to my Tamagotchi (although I gather many did). I didn't have any electronic educational toys but I suspect I would never have wondered if they were alive or intelligent. I anthropomorphised my first computer, but I realised at the time this was a game.

Ultimately, as with anything, some people handle technology more sensibly than others. We need to keep learning more about the effects of our technology, keep thinking about where we want to draw the lines of appropriate and bad behaviour, and accept that there are people who will find a way to do something stupid with any real-life construct. Turkle's book is not particularly well-written (although it's better than Jaron Lanier's very loopy contribution to the field of 'are computers destroying us?!?') but this doesn't negate intermittent good points. I'd love to find a book on these topics that doesn't suffer from rambling and implied paranoia. Perhaps it's up to me to write it. The closest I've found so far is Joseph Weizenbaum's Computer Power and Human Reason, which I'm reading at the moment. It's ancient at this point, but deeply intelligent. It's made me think about a lot of things in a new light. I wonder what sort of book Weizenbaum would write about the technology of today.(less)

like · see review

Feb 20, 2012 Gary Lang rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is one of those books that tries to shed some light on what effects pervasive communications, robot companions, and social networking are having on society. I think we're meant to think that this stuff is inherently flawed, and I don't know if that's the case or not, but as I read the well-described examples and case studies, I couldn't help wondering if it wasn't too early in the technology life-cycles for these things to pass judgment.

I was surprised to read about Eliza in this book, sin...more

1 like · like · see review

Mar 25, 2011 Daniel Solera rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: culture-sociology, psychology

This is the second book of my "The Dangers of New Technologies" series of book reviews. I decided to read Sherry Turkle's Alone Together after reading an article in Slate about it. When I started working in an office that blocked Facebook, I stopped spending unnecessary amounts of time on the website and came to the realization that my life was unchanged because of it. So when I learned that someone had written something of a psychoanalytic profile on the website's effects on our daily lives, I...more This is the second book of my "The Dangers of New Technologies" series of book reviews. I decided to read Sherry Turkle's Alone Together after reading an article in Slate about it. When I started working in an office that blocked Facebook, I stopped spending unnecessary amounts of time on the website and came to the realization that my life was unchanged because of it. So when I learned that someone had written something of a psychoanalytic profile on the website's effects on our daily lives, I had to read it.

Of course, Turkle's book isn't just about Facebook. It is divided into two sections, the first of which, "In Solitude, New Intimacies" is about our growing attachment to robots. Turkle shows how people will open up to robots such as MIT's ELIZA or Furbys or the robotic dog AIBO, eventually coming to love and nurture them. Despite the fact that these people are completely aware that these cybernetic creations aren't alive, they project human emotions onto them to the point where the line between robot and living being is blurry to them. She argues that a great appeal is that they are somehow better than the "real thing" - robots won't deliberately hurt you, they won't die after you've become attached to them and they're always there. However, by simplifying these relationships, you cut out all the complexities (or some might say "difficulties") that make genuine relationships worthwhile. Turkle talks about robots primarily in nursing homes and daycare centers, focusing heavily on how children and the elderly would interact with them. After reading this, my reactions ranged from shock (children so readily accepting robots into their lives) to sadness (adults sending robots to visit Grandma instead of themselves).

But I bought and read this book for the second section, "In Intimacy, New Solitudes." Here is where Turkle talks about Facebook, texting and chat. She talks about how a Facebook avatar is only a version of one's self, a projected, ideal version that we broadcast to the world in vain hopes of representing the convergence of all our most desirable personality traits. Second Life takes this to a new extreme by literally letting you create your avatar as a heightened, "better" self. Texts are bereft of the spontaneity of real conversation and robs the dialogue of the essence of social interaction. Phone calls have been relegated to logistical exchanges and chats are one of seven different concurrent activities. With this, we have to ask, is the act of spending uninterrupted time with one another slowly becoming archaic?

Turkle's conclusions rely very heavily on the opinions of her subjects. The grand majority of this book is composed of transcripts from her sessions. In true psychoanalytic fashion, she reflects her subjects' thoughts back to them in the form of more questions and ultimately conclusions. She rarely directly cites works and keeps the focus largely on what is said and what it means. It can get repetitive but not to a fault. Instead, you just keep reading and asking yourself, Who are these kids and why are they sending upwards of 200 texts a day?

A few weeks ago, I called a friend of mine from college just to see how his life was. We literally talked just to talk and catch up. Yet, I couldn't help but feel like I had to have a singular question to ask, or a particular issue to communicate other than "What's Up?" Awareness, regrettably, does not imply immunity.(less)

7 likes · like · see review

Jan 11, 2013 Kent Gerber rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

What does it mean when we live in a world where robots are beginning to care for the elderly or children? What does it mean when children look at a Galapagos tortoise in a zoo and say that a robot would be “alive enough” to do what it is doing. How do we engage with the world around us when we have the potential for 24/7 network access? What does the blending of the physical and virtual worlds mean for our psyches and identities?

Thirty years of research on how computers and technology affect how...more What does it mean when we live in a world where robots are beginning to care for the elderly or children? What does it mean when children look at a Galapagos tortoise in a zoo and say that a robot would be “alive enough” to do what it is doing. How do we engage with the world around us when we have the potential for 24/7 network access? What does the blending of the physical and virtual worlds mean for our psyches and identities?

Thirty years of research on how computers and technology affect how we think and think about ourselves is compellingly covered in Sherry Turkle’s Alone Together: Why We Expect More from Our Technology and Less from Each Other. Turkle balances down-to-earth examples of her daughter’s use of technology with a wide body of psychological research on adults and children’s interactions with computers and technological gadgets. Her’s is a measured and helpful voice within the group of writers exploring cultural change due to technology; neither blindly condemning it, nor uncritically trumpeting the wonders of new applications.

Centered at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) she is steeped in cutting edge technologies and innovation. She applies her knowledge as a psychoanalytically-trained psychologist to ask reflective questions about how the computer is changing us. She says that this book is a culmination of two previous books on the effect of computers on the mind. Second Self was published in the 1984 and centered on how one on one interaction with a computer re-shaped our thinking. Later, her 1995 book Life on the Screen, explored the emerging Internet and how the ability to connect through computers changes us. This book is a combination of these issues with the addition of the possibilities and pressures of mobile and personal devices.

Some stories she shares are lightly amusing like some of the students she interviewed about Facebook shared with her their exhaustion with the demand on their time to maintain their social “face” saying, “How long do I have to keep this up?”. Others are more troubling and really challenge how we think about relationships with our technology including humans who prefer the company of robots or their smart phones over members of their own family.

Whether you are curious about the social and psychological effect of Facebook and the Internet or are curious about more advanced robotic technology and artificial intelligence this book will challenge you to think about how technology impacts you, your family, and the world around you in a new and deeper way.(less)

like · see review

Apr 03, 2012 Chris Elsden rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I really wanted to like this book. Honestly I did, it deals with a fascinating topic. Sadly however, I found this far too anecdotal, repetitive and bias. Her point felt laboured, the anti-technology rhetoric was tiring and she seldom gets into any great depth on an issue. I felt she was able to point out a fairly evident phenomenon such as people texting more and calling less but failed to deeply analyse it beyond showing the angst and frustrations it brought teenagers. I do believe "we are all...more I really wanted to like this book. Honestly I did, it deals with a fascinating topic. Sadly however, I found this far too anecdotal, repetitive and bias. Her point felt laboured, the anti-technology rhetoric was tiring and she seldom gets into any great depth on an issue. I felt she was able to point out a fairly evident phenomenon such as people texting more and calling less but failed to deeply analyse it beyond showing the angst and frustrations it brought teenagers. I do believe "we are all cyborgs now", as a young person I can see our behaviour is changing, our generation is different, this book just never really showed me the fundamental psychological changes that are occuring or where they will lead, beyond the somewhat ludicrous suggestion that we will all want to marry robots in 2020.

Although her anecdotal evidence is considerable, I seldom found it convincing as an argument for anything in a general sense. What's more, many of the problems she pointed to, weren't shown to be explicitly caused or exacerbated by our connectivity or technology. The teenagers she interviews sound like stereotypical teenagers, with stereotypical problems about identity, sex, image etc. She doesn't show that facebook is the problem, rather than just a new way to express and work with their problems. For example she quotes "Adam", an addicted video gamer, who admits he doesn't really like his job. Without doubt he is a sad example of addiction and the power of very clever video designers, but to me the example says more about Adam, and the problems with his real life, than the omnipotent pervasive technology. In another age perhaps he would have been an alcoholic, a drug user, or a problem gambler.

Finally, the anecdotes and her own personal references made her line of argument at times incoherent and unclear. You had to flip back a couple of pages, to figure out exactly where she was going with a particular story of teenage trauma.

Basically a lot of what she claims may be true, some of it sounds dubious, I was just expecting a more thorough treatment of the topic, there were very few moments which were truly thought provoking or original.(less)

6 likes · like · see review

Mar 02, 2012 Nicole rated it 3 of 5 stars

In a world of integration and devices that allow others to keep in touch with one another, why is it then so hard to connect with people these days both online and off? Or rather, the type of connection may not necessarily be what one is seeking. By chance, I happened upon a book trying to see if anyone had insight in this ever growing society of being everywhere at once, but at the same time, always feeling isolated. Entitled Alone Together: Why We Expect More from Technology and Less from Each...more

like · see review

Jul 19, 2011 Simone rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011-read

Thank you NPR for always adding things to my "to-read" list. I picked up this book at the library after listening to this RadioLab episode on machines. It's hard to write a review or summary of this book. For sure it's really interesting, but it's also really dense. There are a lot of really similar academic examples. The book definitely shows a thoroughness of research. There are also so many moments that had me going - yes, yes, yes.

I'm a huge fan of the internet and the possibilities it crea...more
Thank you NPR for always adding things to my "to-read" list. I picked up this book at the library after listening to this RadioLab episode on machines. It's hard to write a review or summary of this book. For sure it's really interesting, but it's also really dense. There are a lot of really similar academic examples. The book definitely shows a thoroughness of research. There are also so many moments that had me going - yes, yes, yes.

I'm a huge fan of the internet and the possibilities it creates for relationships. Most of the people reading this now are people I originally met on the Internet. But interestingly Turkle points to example after example of people escaping into relationships online because their inter-personal ones are unsatisfying. Teenagers who find phone calls, too hard or too emotional. To easy to betray their real feelings, while online or text conversations can be carefully constructed. Children and old people being happier playing with robots because they can approximate caring in way that they don't receive from parents or caregivers.

"Online, we easily find "company" but are exhausted by the pressures of performance. We enjoy continual connection but rarely have each other's full attention. We can have instant audiences but flatten out what we say to each other in reductive genres of abbreviation. We like that the Web 'knows' us, but this is only possible because we compromise our privacy, leaving electronic bread crumbs that can be easily exploited, both politically and commercially. We have many new encounters but may come to experience them as tentative, to be "put on hold" if better ones come along...The ties we form through the Internet are not, in the end, the ties that bind. But they are ties that preoccupy. We text each other at family dinners, while we jog, while we drive, as we push our children on swings in the park. We don't want to intrude on each other, so instead we constantly intrude on each other, but not in "real time". (less)

like · see review

Aug 12, 2011 Sara Marie Watson rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I agree with much of what's been said about this book feeling like two separate ones. I held out, waiting for the conclusion to do the heavy lifting to tie the robots and the communications technology sections together, but the hand waving and smoothing over did little more than to further apologize for the disjuncture as admitted in the introduction.

I like that Turkle has the confidence to take a critical turn here. Though some have described the shift to be it to be pessimistic, in opposition...more I agree with much of what's been said about this book feeling like two separate ones. I held out, waiting for the conclusion to do the heavy lifting to tie the robots and the communications technology sections together, but the hand waving and smoothing over did little more than to further apologize for the disjuncture as admitted in the introduction.

I like that Turkle has the confidence to take a critical turn here. Though some have described the shift to be it to be pessimistic, in opposition to her earlier optimism, I read it as grounded, thoughtful, and critical, and that the call to action is for society/users to give the same critical thought to the ways our technologies are influencing our behaviors and mediating our relationships. I would argue we have always needed to ask ourselves these questions, for any technology in any age, but Turkle suggests that our acceptance of the roles robots can and might play in our lives is a game changer and worthy of extra-special attention. That's fine - I appreciated the opportunity to spend a little time thinking about Tamagotchis and Furbies - I was too young when those came into vogue to think more critically beyond asking my young self "Why would anyone want to spend time caring for a virtual pet that you can't even turn off?"

Psychology methodologies seem to me a worthy approach to understanding robots, particularly in exploring definitions of humanity in contrast to non-human beings, and reading this book also got me thinking a lot about methodology (in part because I'm embarking on proposal brainstorming myself). But Turkle's methodological grounding in clinical psychology was reiterated through the frequent references to the idea that asking people to talk about their relationship to technologies are Rorschach tests for getting them to tease out how they are feeling about themselves, their situations. Fair, but the ethnographic lens felt more like Turkle was focused on individuals' problems, rather than following through with the bigger problems for humanity. The whole "learning what you think by hearing what you say to others" idea felt like a self help book for the modern age, setting up a framework for thinking about our relationships to technology, rather than providing any guidance. In true psychologist form, Turkle is asking the right questions, but she was asking more than she was answering.

Also, the epilogue felt like a last-ditch effort to respond to Kevin Kelly's work on "What Technology Wants" - the counter balance to Turkle's questions about what we want from technology. An appropriate and worthy task, but it felt like an afterthought and a scramble.(less)

like · see review

Jan 16, 2013 Laura Jordan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Despite its frequent repetitiveness, I really enjoyed this book. Perhaps it's because I'm not so enthralled by technology -- my Facebook presence is minimal, at best -- but I think as a psychologist, Turkle really does have something thoughtful observations to make. The first part (focusing on robots) was a little less interesting, but the second (focusing on our relationships with each other via technology) was great, particularly the discussion of how teenagers and young adults both seek intim...more

like · see review

Feb 17, 2013 Khaya rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: readablenonfiction, we-re-all-going-to-hell, thought-provoking, should-ve-been-shorter

Hmmm. Fascinating concept. Copiously researched. Boring as all hell.

Okay, just kidding. A cheap effort to get the attention of all my on-line friends out there with whom I apparently have these illusory relationships (and, perhaps, feel pressure to serve up charming and witty sound bytes that I'm less compelled to do IRL). The book wasn't boring as all hell; it made some very interesting points at times. But there were certainly problems with the overall execution, and provocative though it was,...more Hmmm. Fascinating concept. Copiously researched. Boring as all hell.

Okay, just kidding. A cheap effort to get the attention of all my on-line friends out there with whom I apparently have these illusory relationships (and, perhaps, feel pressure to serve up charming and witty sound bytes that I'm less compelled to do IRL). The book wasn't boring as all hell; it made some very interesting points at times. But there were certainly problems with the overall execution, and provocative though it was, I can't unreservedly recommend it as a fabulous read.

I started out devouring the first half of the book. Gradually I found myself skimming, then finally skipping to the second half which was far more relevant to my life. The first half of the book focuses on electronic toys which seem to be imbued with personalities of their own such as Tamagotchi, Furby, My Real Baby, etc. This was a trend which completely passed me by; I was too old for these toys when they came out and would never consider buying them for my children simply because I have this weird policy of not buying them any electronic toys (whole other story which I won't go into here).

The question of how it affects us and our view of relationships when toys give the illusion of having personalities and feelings can be fascinating. Unfortunately, though, the book got bogged down in endless examples of kids with their furbies and Tamagotchies which was ultimately highly repetitive. All of these kids were basically saying the same things: sometimes I feel like my toy is alive, sometimes I remember that it isn't, sometimes I feel overly responsible for my toy, sometimes I'm cruel to my toy, and variations thereof. In this chapter, we heard several kids say this about their furbies. And then, in the next chapter, we heard several kids say all the same things about My Real Baby. It got old, and I was feeling beaten over the head about a topic which was completely irrelevant to me in any case.

So I skipped to the second half, which suffered many of the same flaws but at least covered ground that was more personally relevant to me. Online relationships, social networking, confessional sites, etc. The author talked about the attraction of attachment without commitment, the illusion of intimacy provided by these relationships when in fact, you don't actually know these people and won't truly be there for each other in a real-life crisis, how texting and facebook updates are replacing face-to-face contact (although this was questionable considering that much of the described texting was about making appointments to get together) and certainly phone calls, woe is me, woe is me. It was interesting to read Turkle's points, even if they were a bit belabored, and to contemplate whether or not they held true for me and for people I know. I reacted a bit when she wrote about today's teenagers having grown up with parents texting while they pushed them on the swings; my oldest children are sixteen and fourteen and texting certainly wasn't around when they were kids so I don't know which teenagers she means. It's the teenagers of tomorrow who we have to be concerned about, I think. It's a picky thing, but it seemed to me as if Turkle's zeal to predict doom was getting her ahead of herself.

In truth, I'm as concerned about the effects of our digital world as anyone else. It was strange to me even several years back to see a family eating out in a restaurant with a child playing on his gameboy throughout the meal, although I wouldn't jump to conclusions because for all I know the child may have had some issue and this could have been the only way the family could eat in peace. So I do like the topic, and many of Turkle's ideas resonated with me at least as open questions if not clear conclusions. I just wish the book had been better.(less)

8 likes · like · see review

Aug 12, 2012 Kate rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 3-non-fiction

This book is a study of humans and technology.

The first half of the book is about humans and robots, especially our tendency to ascribe feelings and emotions to robots. It made me think of robots in pop culture from Data in Star Trek to WALL-E. In the stories I've seen on TV, in movies, and that I've read in books, the theme is usually very similar - that humans give robots emotions and feelings, that we want the robots to have these emotions. We know that computer programs can't have these emot...more This book is a study of humans and technology.

The first half of the book is about humans and robots, especially our tendency to ascribe feelings and emotions to robots. It made me think of robots in pop culture from Data in Star Trek to WALL-E. In the stories I've seen on TV, in movies, and that I've read in books, the theme is usually very similar - that humans give robots emotions and feelings, that we want the robots to have these emotions. We know that computer programs can't have these emotions, but we attribute these emotions to them anyway. I do this to inanimate objects all the time, not wanting to give away a beloved stuffed animal from childhood, for instance, because I don't want to "hurt" its feelings (so, now my children have ALL my childhood stuffed animals...lucky them). The problem with this, the author indicates, is when we want to replace human emotions and companionship for robot emotions and companionship, when a robot is preferable to a human's company.

The second half of the book deals with our communication - texting, social sites, etc. I don't text, but my kids might one day (unless it's been replaced with yet something else), so I was curious about what the author had to say even though I don't feel like it applies to me. For instance, when the author interviewed people, particularly youth, a text is less intrusive to them whereas a phone call is intrusive and invades one's privacy. For me, it is the reverse. I welcome a phone call, but I really really dislike receive a text. To me, it feels shallow and impersonal. What I did feel applied to me was the social media. I am a part of facebook, but I feel like I have a love/hate relationship with it. I feel like I learn too much about people - you know those posts that have TMI - and I like them less. At the same time, I feel like I really don't know them at all. This doesn't go for all my "friends" on facebook, and I am appreciative of being able to keep in touch with people who I would keep in touch with regardless of platform (when I was a teenager, I kept up religiously with my dear friend who had to move away...I still have all her letters tucked away because they were so meaningful to me), but facebook makes it easier. That said, there are problems with facebook, and since there's no primer on online social etiquette, you see all kinds of people. I can't control how other people use the platform, but I can control how I use it, and this book made me confront what I don't like about it and I made some changes, both in how I addressed facebook and who I want to stay connected to.

I'm glad I read this book. I think it has a timely message. I have seen reviews that say that the author is anti-technology, but I think the reviewers are missing the point. The author is pointing out our vulnerabilities that we have in relation to technology and showing where technology has begun to control people instead of the other way around. To me, technology is a marvelous tool, but we need to remember that it is a tool and to treat it as such. It is not alive. It does not have feelings. Nor should we allow it to dominate our lives, how we think, or how we communicate with others. (less)

like · see review

Dawn Sounds like the message echoes that of recent talks by church leaders. I agree with your ambivalent feelings about social media, Kate. I also feel som...more
Aug 12, 2012 10:44pm

Kate Hi Dawn! Thanks for your comment and your thoughts. As I was reading this book, my thoughts were drawn to a talk by Elder Bednar that I had read some...more
Aug 13, 2012 10:13pm

Dawn Thanks for the details from Elder Bednar's talk, Kate. I remember the talk, too, and now I want to reread it. Sadly, I think my younger brother is one...more
Aug 15, 2012 08:58am

Apr 23, 2012 Bob rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The writer sets out to explain why, in part, we are insecure in our relationships and anxious about intimacy. She states that we look to technology for ways to be in relationships and protect ourselves from them at the same time. She says that we feat the risks & disappointments of relationships with our fellow humans. That we expect more from technology and less from each other. She does a good job but she gets there in a way I never imagined. Sherry Turkle does research at MIT and has been...more

like · see review

Mar 23, 2011 Connie Mayo rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: luddite-books

Sherry Turkle has some serious bona fides - she's been studying how technology affects us for decades at MIT and this is her third book on this subject. Her research for this book seems extremely thorough. Alone Together has a long (good) introduction and the remainder is split into two parts: The Robotic Moment, about robots and robotic devices, and Networked, about more common internet-based technology such as email, texting, Facebook, Second Life, etc. I confess I skipped the robot section be...more

like · see review

Feb 16, 2011 Kelly rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Sherry Turkle mixes together personal anecdotes, professional research, and philosophical rumination to address the link between technology and human relationships. In the first half of the book, Turkle draws on her work with three successive generations of children to examine the consequences of increased robotic integration on both childhood development and eldercare. The second half of the book tackles how cellular and online social networks are shaping our individual and collective psycholog...more

like · see review

Sep 12, 2012 Noah W rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012

Ironically, I watched the iPhone 5 video today and the video begins by discussing how the iPhone is the one thing that people always have with them and how they take changing the iPhone very seriously because of the connection that people have with it.

"Alone Together" addresses the impact of technology on our society and delves into how deep the wires and circuits have become embedded into our culture.

The first part of the book explores the interaction between humans and robots: the Furbies and...more

like · see review

Jan 18, 2013 Jeff Royce rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book is divided into two distinct parts. The first on our interaction with robots, such as robotic toys, dogs and babies. And the second on our interactions through online connections. If I could give star ratings for the 2 parts, the first part would get a ***, and the second a *****.

The first part, about robots, was interesting, but didn't feel like any of the things she wrote about had affected a large part of our society. I grew up in the 80s, and my children in the 00s, and neither I n...more

1 like · like · see review

Aug 28, 2011 Ashley rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Ashley by: John Stewart

Shelves: technology

This was a great book with a great message - it is split almost evenly between (1) robotics and (2) connectivity. An abridged version of this book should be required reading for anyone who is impacted by technology.

Quotable moments:
- I'm done with smart machines. I want a machine that's attentive to my needs. Where are the sensitive machines?
- Zhu Zhus are designed to be loved; in Chatroulette, people are objectified and quickly discarded...we seem determined to give human qualities to objects...more

like · see review

Aug 14, 2011 Zare K rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Sherry Turkle's 1995 book "Life On The Screen" was in no small part responsible for sparking my own interest in the internet, computer-aided social networks, and the ways in which people relate to technology. As such, I was excited to read her analysis of more recent social and technological developments. "Alone Together" is divided into two parts, the first focusing on sociable robots (from Furbies to elder-care bots) and the second on the "always on" world of mobile devices and the social web....more Sherry Turkle's 1995 book "Life On The Screen" was in no small part responsible for sparking my own interest in the internet, computer-aided social networks, and the ways in which people relate to technology. As such, I was excited to read her analysis of more recent social and technological developments. "Alone Together" is divided into two parts, the first focusing on sociable robots (from Furbies to elder-care bots) and the second on the "always on" world of mobile devices and the social web. My own experience with sociable robots is effectively nil so I found the first section interesting in terms of catching up but can't offer much comment on it. The second section explores some concerns I'd been thinking on recently on my own, about the way the "always connected" life fragments attention and discourages reflection, and the way superficial but pervasive social network connections with the "friended" can degrade the quality of connections with one's actual family and friends.

Turkle, an MIT professor, is certainly neither a technophobe nor a layman. However, especially since the second section of "Alone Together" tends to focus on the experience of children and teenagers (albeit with some treatment of adults too) it's hard not to hear an undertone of "kids these days" hand-wringing. I don't share Turkle's nostalgia for the landline telephone, and I know that before I had my nose in a smartphone all the time I had a my nose in a book or magazine-- hardly a recipe for high-quality engagement with people in the flesh. Perhaps, also, I feel defensive of the media that were in many ways my social-skills stepping stone and reluctant to admit that the promised technological utopia of connection may never arrive.

Nonetheless, I do share Turkle's concerns about the drift towards being alone together and the way we begin to view the rituals of human engagement as a chore. As such, I would have liked to see more exploration of how to derive the most benefit from these technologies while resisting their detrimental effects. Unfortunately, while Turkle encourages us not to accept computer-aided personal disconnect as inevitable or a necessary evil, "Alone Together" is light on solutions for how to cope with developments that are already thoroughly integrated into our daily lives.(less)

1 like · like · see review

title link	preview: Alone Together: Why We Expect More from Technology and Less from Each Other
avg rating	preview: Alone Together: Why We Expect More from Technology and Less from Each Other Goodreads rating: 3.59 (1336 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10298782-alone-together?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1328309584l/10298782.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10298782-alone-together?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Alone Together: Why We Expect More from Technology and Less from Each Other by Sherry Turkle[/url]

Alone Together: Why We Expect More from Technology and Less from Each Other

Friend Reviews

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topic
Discuss This Book

combine
Other Editions (10)

Genres

Readers also enjoyed similar books

About Sherry Turkle

Books by Sherry Turkle

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website

Trivia About Alone Together: W...

Quotes from Alone Together: Why We...