Is It a Good Idea to Think of It Like, Almost as Empty Calories

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We seek out sugary, sweet things because ten thousand years ago it was hard to get calories. And likewise, theseco a techniques that our devices or social media used to hook us is sacrificing something harder d and more important. I'm not sure that we would be so am tempted if our society wasn't in a period of such social fragmentation. In other words, everything is working in sort of very, a very vicious circle of unhappy lock step to get us to a point where sitting alone in our room seems like a good ideaum.

Advances in technology have gradually been extending the human self beyond its biological extent, as we augment who we are with a variety of interconnected devices. There are obvious benefits to this — it lets us text our friends, listen to podcasts, and not get lost in strange cities. But as it changes how we interact with other people, it’s important to consider the possible downsides. Sherry Turkle is a psychologist and writer who specializes in the relationship between humans and their technology. She makes the case for not forgetting about empathy, conversation, and even the occasional imperfection in how we present ourselves to the world.

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Sherry Turkle received her Ph.D. in sociology and personality psychology from Harvard University. She is currently Abby Rockefeller Mauzé Professor of the Social Studies of Science and Technology in the Program in Science, Technology, and Society at MIT, founding director of the MIT Initiative on Technology and Self, and a licensed clinical psychologist. Among her awards are a Guggenheim Fellowship, a Rockefeller Humanities Fellowship, the Harvard Centennial Medal, and she was named “Woman of the Year” by Ms. Magazine. Her new book is The Empathy Diaries: A Memoir.

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