Failure to Communicate
Among the many technology observers who are disturbed by what digital culture is doing to our species,
Sherry Turkle has addressed the issue with particular attention and insight. For three decades, the MIT professor has written about the psychological effects of internet usage. Along the way, she has transformed from a technology advocate and Wired cover subject into a leading cautionary voice. We should put down that cellphone and simply talk to each other more, says Turkle, who believes that technology has supplanted the richer experience of a face-to-face conversation. Social media, in which individuals put forth an idealized identity, may make us feel less alone, she says, but it doesn’t produce the intimacy and empathy that are essential to meaningful communication. Turkle also believes that by changing how we craft technology, we can help remedy the situation. She will be in town to speak about these issues — in person, of course, and with a live audience — and to discuss her latest book, “Reclaiming Communication.”
— Anita Katz
415-292-1200
