Scan barcode
A review by themermaddie
Alone Together: Why We Expect More from Technology and Less from Each Other by Sherry Turkle
5.0
"When it is time to return the robot, Tucker seems concerned that his healthy older brother, Connor (12), barely played with Aibo during the weeks they had the robot at home. Tucker brings this up with a shaky voice. He explains that his brother didn't play with the robot because he didn't want to get addicted to him so he would be sad when we had to give him back. Tucker wishes he had more of his brother's attention; the two are not close. Tucker fears that his brother does not spend time with him because he is so frail. In general, he worries that his illness keeps people away because they don't want to invest in him. Aibo, too, is only passing through their home. Tucker is upset by Connor's hesitancy to bond with something only passing in his life. Tucker tells us he is making the most out of his time with Aibo."
this was by far one of the saddest anecdotes in this book in my opinion, i just had to give it special mention.
this book feels so incredibly relevant despite being over ten years out of date. the examples of loneliness and changed human connection feel like they could've been written for this week, and it's really interesting to see how the things turkle writes about as futuristic possibilities have come true today. she approaches technological development with a healthy amount of skepticism, and is rightfully critical of our societal tendency to strive for cyberutopianism. turkle is academic but never inaccessible, and her experience shines through in the sheer volume of specific experiences and anecdotes she's collected over the years from a variety of people. great read, very thought provoking.
this was by far one of the saddest anecdotes in this book in my opinion, i just had to give it special mention.
this book feels so incredibly relevant despite being over ten years out of date. the examples of loneliness and changed human connection feel like they could've been written for this week, and it's really interesting to see how the things turkle writes about as futuristic possibilities have come true today. she approaches technological development with a healthy amount of skepticism, and is rightfully critical of our societal tendency to strive for cyberutopianism. turkle is academic but never inaccessible, and her experience shines through in the sheer volume of specific experiences and anecdotes she's collected over the years from a variety of people. great read, very thought provoking.