If people start to buy the idea that machines are great companions for the elderly or for children, as they increasingly seem to do, we are really playing with fire.
Sherry TurkleRead
What technology makes easy is not always what nurtures the human spirit.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Advancements in technology can simplify tasks, but they may not always contribute positively to our emotional and social well-being.
Sherry Turkle's quote highlights the paradox of technology's role in our lives. While it can make daily tasks easier and more efficient, it often lacks the ability to foster deeper human connections and nurture our emotional health. The ease provided by technology can sometimes replace meaningful interactions and experiences that are essential for a fulfilling human experience.
Themes
TechnologyHuman SpiritConnectionWell-BeingEmotion
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about the impact of social media on relationships, one might say, 'What technology makes easy is not always what nurtures the human spirit.'
More from Sherry Turkle
All quotes βWe live in a technological universe in which we are always communicating. And yet we have sacrificed conversation for mere connection.
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The most used program in computers and education is PowerPoint. What are you learning about the nature of the medium by knowing how do to a great PowerPoint presentation? Nothing. It certainly doesn't teach you how to think critically about living in a culture of simulation.
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Technology is seductive when what it offers meets our human vulnerabilities. And as it turns out, we are very vulnerable indeed. We are lonely but fearful of intimacy. Digital connections and the sociable robot may offer the illusion of companionship without the demands of friendship. Our networked life allows us to hide from each other, even as we are tethered to each other. Weβd rather text than talk.
Sherry TurkleRead
Human relationships are rich and they're messy and they're demanding. And we clean them up with technology. Texting, email, posting, all of these things let us present the self as we want to be. We get to edit, and that means we get to delete, and that means we get to retouch, the face, the voice, the flesh, the body -- not too little, not too much, just right.
Sherry TurkleRead
The feeling that 'no one is listening to me' make us want to spend time with machines that seem to care about us.
Sherry TurkleRead
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