Humans First – Technology Second, with Sherry Turkle
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Humans First – Technology Second, with Sherry Turkle

Sherry Turkle
Global Peter Drucker Forum, 2015
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Editorial Rating

8

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Recommendation

As a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sherry Turkle is accustomed to addressing large audiences, a trait that might inhibit this seasoned speaker from relating to the anomaly she discusses: The advent of new technologies has prompted many people to eschew face-to-face conversation and to favor text-based exchanges over spoken dialogues. Using two examples from her research, Turkle eloquently explains how this trend is reshaping interpersonal communication and why it matters. getAbstract recommends her thought-provoking presentation to all people who have noticed their introversion growing in tandem with their reliance on electronic devices.

Summary

When social scientist and psychologist Sherry Turkle interviewed subjects about technology’s influence on society, many people across all ages and occupations admitted they would “rather text than talk.” “Text” here refers to any screen-based communication: emailing, instant messaging, and so on. Though conversation enables individuals to establish relationships and empathy and allows organizations to foster fervor, innovation and collaboration, Turkle learned that many avoid unplanned, open-ended conversations that prompt vulnerability and presence. Moreover, people are at odds with how they communicate...

About the Speaker

Sherry Turkle is the director of MIT’s Initiative on Technology and Self. She wrote Alone Together.

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