Technology

Alone Together: 8 key ideas

by Sherry Turkle

The core ideas of Alone Together, each in under a minute, written in our own words. Want the full depth? Get the book.

1. IDEA 1 OF 8

   Connection can leave us lonely

   Turkle, a psychologist at MIT, argues that digital technology lets us feel connected while making real intimacy harder.

   We expect more from technology and less from each other. Our devices promise company but often deliver distance.

2. IDEA 2 OF 8

   Robots offer companionship

   Turkle describes children and elderly people forming bonds with sociable robots.

   She worries that people accept machines as substitutes for human care. She asks whether a machine's attention can really stand in for the care of a person.

3. IDEA 3 OF 8

   We are ready for robots

   Turkle describes the robotic moment, when people become willing to accept relationships with machines.

   This, she argues, says more about us than about robots. The readiness to accept such machines shows what people feel is missing in their lives.

4. IDEA 4 OF 8

   Machines seem to care

   Turkle notes that robots can simulate care without truly feeling.

   She asks what is lost when people accept this. A robot that acts caring may comfort people, but it does not understand their feelings as another person would.

5. IDEA 5 OF 8

   Always on, never present

   Turkle describes how people stay constantly connected through phones, even during meals and meetings.

   Attention becomes divided. A glance at the screen during a talk can make the other person feel that they matter less.

6. IDEA 6 OF 8

   Texts replace conversation

   Turkle finds that many people prefer texting to talking because it feels safer.

   But conversation teaches empathy. Face-to-face talk requires listening, patience and reading tone, which are skills that texting can leave unpractised.

7. IDEA 7 OF 8

   Online selves are performances

   Turkle describes how people carefully craft online identities.

   This can be tiring and isolating. Choosing words, photos and poses to show only the best side of life takes effort and can leave people feeling they are never quite themselves.

8. IDEA 8 OF 8

   Teenagers feel the pressure

   Turkle describes teenagers who feel they must always respond to messages.

   Some long for time away from devices. The steady stream of messages makes it hard for them to rest, think or simply be with friends.