Robot Stories and Alone Together

    After reading the first chapter of Alone Together and then watching the videos in class, I can see some definite similarities. One is that the both of them, although they made their points clear, were very disturbing. Both the author of Alone Together and the people making the videos took a look around them, realized the changes in society due to technological advancements, and decided they need to try to open the eyes of the people around them. I feel like both approached this goal knowing that the only way to accomplish it was to use a scare tactic on their audience, using the strangest case scenarios possible. Another definite similarity between the two is the expressions of concern that technology is being used as an emotional crutch, being used to transform, control, and/or replace aspects of human relationships. This is shown very clearly in the videos, especially with the adoption of the robot child, as it is clearly mentioned multiple times throughout the introduction of Alone Together, providing the sense that this will not only be an important topic but will also be one of the central themes of the book.

    Although I do believe both the videos and Sherry Turkle go to extreme case scenarios, I do not deny that the issues exist, nor do I deny the fact that technology is having such a profound effect on society. I agree that technology has been weakening relationships and communities for quite a while now, and I fear that if people do not start to realize what is happening and take control it will only get worse from here on out.