Alone TogetherPresented by: Rutilo Alonso, Michelle De

Leon, Cindy Doan, Kaitlyn Shea, Jiaen Zhou

Phil 110 Professor Bernasconi

Introduction● Author: Sherry Turkle ● Focus: Relationship between humans

& technology

Part 1: The Robotic Moment In Solitude, New Intimacies

Chapter 1: Nearest Neighbors● In the 1970’s robots came into

existence ● “Aliveness” in robots:

o Substitutes for humans & pets● “Nearest Neighbors”

○ Pets○ Technology ○ Are Robots “alive enough”?

Chapter 2: Alive Enough● Robotic Experiment

o Robot’s emotions vs. Human’s reaction● “Robotic Moment”

o Results to more reliability on robots● Will people start to rely more on

computer generated “perfect” responses than the actual experience of other people

Chapter 3: True Companions● Another study was conducted with

electronic pets, allowing a wide range of age groupso Result: Humans became attached to them

● Turkle’s Fear:o People will no longer see electronic

companions as “better than nothing”, but as “better than anything”

http://youtube.com/v/NOHqxUpXxDQ

Chapter 4: Enchantment● Robotic Companions● As Babysitters

- Children with boring babysitters or who don’t get attention from parents would like a robot .Those with fun babysitters would rather keep the person.

● As Caretakers for Elderly- Benefits: constant company & not wasting time visiting

someone who can’t remember. - Jealousy/ Others didn’t like the possibility of being replaced

or forgotten by family members

Chapter 5: Complicities● COG & Kismet

- Robots with human like features: torso, movable arms, neck, & head ● People, especially children, loved interacting with it. They

wanted a connection, satisfying need to be loved and favored

● Turkle worried by fascination, “sociable technology will always disappoint because it promises what it cannot deliver. It promises friendship but can only performances”

Chapter 6: Love’s Labor Lost● Growing belief that robotic companions for

elderly have therapeutic benefits.Turkle’s study shows that the elderly develop attachments to the robots and are grateful for their presence

● Diminish our notion of love. Part of loving someone is taking care of them.

● People use robots as excuse to not visit family member in homes, since they would have robots there already.

Chapter 7: Communion● Artificial Intelligence (AI) ex. “Creature comforts” - hug, help, emotion● Cell phone animate robot ex. sense of security, companionship, connection● Considering the robot for real ex. robot assistant is ok, but everyone deserves a person

Part 2: NetworkedIn Intimacy, New Solitudes

Chapter 8: Always On● Second Life in Social networking - Park is no longer a communal place● “Place for hope” - Having one identity online and one offline● Multitasking - Connectivity becomes overwhelming and stressful

Chapter 9：Growing Up Tethered

● Notion of independence - “tethered” to the internet and mobile devices

● Result- we depend on the technology to keep us connected to people, and it becomes more about the devices than the actual people.

Chapter 10 - No Need to Call● The preferred method of

communicationo Allows a chance to think about how they want

to portray themselves● Positive light

o Facebook, Instagram, etc. ● Losing your voice and emotions

Chapter 11 - Reduction & Betrayal● Immersed in virtual lives ● Looking to technology for a life rather than to the actual world pursuits and people

Chapter 12 - True Confessions● Relying more on technology and less

on people ● Not facing reality

Chapter 13: Anxiety● Technology can better some peoples lives

o Organizing their calendars that can be accessed at any timeo Contacting loved ones at any moment

● But for others it creates a whole new sense of anxiety o New social environment where people need t0 feel like they

are accepted and liked o Permanency of the internet o Connectivity to everyone

● Vicious Cycle o Technology was used to relieve stress and make our lives

easier, but it has led to new stresses that we haven’t had to deal with before.

Chapter 14: The nostalgia of the young ● Although are so connected with phones,

teenages and adults always reflect and miss the older days before technology didn’t consume our lives

● New generation of teenagers are now being brought up in a generation where they are competing with technology for attention and constantly needing to check social media themselves

Conclusion● Technology in general is threatening the bonds that humans

have made with each other in the pasto With robots, people love the interactions but it can never

deliver a true friendship o People deserved to be loved and taken care of and robots

take away that opportunity ● Technology has made us so “connected” yet so disconnected at

the same time o We get consumed into the world that you are constantly

looking into and checking your screen forgetting about the world that you are living in.