Critical Analysis Of Alone Together By Sherry Turkle

Alone Together Critical Analysis

1. In Alone Together, a book written by Sherry Turkle, the implications of technology within American culture is put in perspective. Turkle realizes the negative connotations that technologies such as blackberries and robots clandestinely have on human communications. In order to fully understand where Turkle is coming from, it is important to understand why she feels the way she does. Turkle claims that people in today’s society are vulnerable to loneliness at all ages ranging from children to the elderly, and therefore technology is introduced in a promising and “seductive” manner that seizes people 's attention (Turkle 1). People are often hopeful of new technologies and what they can offer yet Turkle believes that there is risk involved (Turkle 52). Turkle uses various robots to conduct her research some even being from Japan. The Tamagotchi is a digital pet the lives inside

The robots Turkle uses for her research range from cheaper ones such as Tamagotchis, Furbies, and My Real Babies to more expensive ones such as Kismet, Cog, Paro, and AIBO. Nonetheless they all present fairly similar issues. The use of companion robots has shown Turkle that there is a definite problem between children and their communication skills. She points out in a more specific example when children are talking to AIBO that it “provokes” anger in some kids while others would use it as a therapist (Turkle 62). Later Turkle describes this issue as a cause due to what children face at home. Children who are often lonely at home find themselves loving and caring for the robot more so than other children. Although the issue isn’t that children confide in robots, it’s that they would prefer to confide in them instead of real people and feel as though the robots are being “genuine” in their actions (Turkle 77). Turkle realizes the sociable robots or robot companions are not creating communication but rather taking the ability to communicate with