I have begun to read Sherry Turkles' "Alone Together" and although I have had some discussions about robots, humans and their relationships, I am wondering about the pros and cons of robots as sociable companions? I do not think that we as a society are ready to take on this evolution. In the first part of this book, Sherry Turkle discusses that even though she is the researcher of robots, she can't help herself from craving the attention on a robot when she encounters one. I wonder if she as an intelligent adult is not able to separate machine from human though it may be for simply short seconds; then how are we asking children to differentiate between digital toys and and real living things. I was shocked at the length that children would go to keep their Furby's alive (not remove the batteries). I was even more surprised to see how parents played into their demands.
Turkle describes the captivation that people have towards anything that interacts as with them; she describes it as the human part of us that we can't deny. Although we know the human limitations of robots, we try to fill in the blanks by responding to the robot where it is unable to. She calls this the Eliza Effect. We take the robotic behaviours and ascribe it human qualities. Humans are social animals and crave social interactions. Although Turkle is aware of this, she can't help but wonder if we are asking too much from robots and not demanding enough from our human counterparts? I am wondering the same.
As an educator, I am trying to understand what role digital devices are playing in the cognitive and social development of children? I do understand that digital devices are here to stay and I am not promoting that we should do away with them, however, I do want to investigate the impact of these devices on our Digital Natives. Although I have only read the first section of Turkles' book that deals with robotics and have yet to get to social implications of technology on our young children and young adults, I can't help but feel that others may also feel that we are embracing the use of devices too quickly and without caution. It is through further research into journals articles as well as completing Turkles' "Alone Together" book this week that I hope to have a better understanding to the answers that I am seeking.
Here's to digging in deep!
