Читать книгу Essentials of Sociology - George Ritzer - Страница 141

One controversial issue today is whether technology is contributing to a decline in meaningful social relationships. Some experts argue that technology can help us build and maintain social networks, but in Alone Together, Sherry Turkle offers a critical look at how an array of recent technologies are leaving us detached and afraid of face-to-face social interactions. Turkle finds that some people prefer interacting with social robots instead of real humans because they do not have to deal with unpredictable emotions that might make them feel vulnerable—robots love unconditionally, and they never die. These social robots are so technologically sophisticated that they can follow our gaze and even talk to us, making it seem like they can empathize and understand our feelings. Turkle warns that intimacy with machines is no substitute for human intimacy and that machine–human relationships cause us to reduce our expectations of other humans.

When we do engage in social interactions with other humans, many of us often do so using technology, such as smartphones or computers. These machine-mediated exchanges allow us to communicate quickly and conveniently but not very expressively. While communicating via text, social media, and e-mail can be practical, it is also more impersonal and less spontaneous than face-to-face interactions are. For example, announcing a pregnancy on Facebook might be efficient, but it might also be insensitive if a person has not personally told close family members and friends first. New technologies allow us to edit and manage our impressions more than we can during face-to-face interactions, even if we cannot always verify how our messages are interpreted. Our online audience generally does not challenge our performances and most likely confirms our impressions of ourselves by “liking” what we post (if they respond at all). Social media might provide us with thousands of virtual connections; however, most of these are weak ties that require nothing consequential from us. This is why many of us feel alone at the same time that we are digitally connected. ●

Visit edge.sagepub.com/ritzeressentials4e to

 Watch Turkle explain the key themes of her book Alone Together in her TED Talk, “Connected, but Alone?”

 Read a Frontline interview in which Turkle elaborates on the social implications of the digital revolution.