Alone Together

Alone Together is a book that will make you want to have a better relationship with technology by revealing just how much we rely on it and the ways our connection to it is growing worse and having negative effects on us all.

Do you remember Tamagotchi? It was a small device that displayed a little pet that you had to care for. The idea of having a real-life robot pet seems crazy, but it’s now become a reality.

Some elderly people have robots that help them not feel so alone. One little girl has a robotic dog called AIBO that she loves because she can turn it off whenever she wants. These uses are just the tip of the iceberg with this technology. But is it always a good thing?

Just like with smartphones, some people who use robots for company or fun often neglect their personal relationships.

One 82-year-old woman has a My Real Baby robot, for example, which she sometimes neglects her granddaughter Gail to care for. When the robot isn’t present, Gail gets all of her grandmother’s attention. But anytime the “baby” is around, Edna’s attention drifts to it, sometimes ignoring Gail’s need for attention.

We’re even getting to the point that some people would rather have a robotic relationship than real ones. One example is a man by the name of Wesley. At 64-years-old, he’s been through divorce three times now. He feels that he always hurts people because of his selfishness.

Bring a robot into the picture and this problem is gone. It can give him the social interactions that he needs without the risk that he’ll hurt someone. This is dangerous, though, because it just reinforces Wesley’s selfish behavior, never giving him the chance to fix it.

Have you ever left your phone at home on purpose? I’ve seen my dad do this often. Knowing how busy he is, it’s probably relaxing to disconnect. It’s easy to feel anxious without your smartphone though. We almost see it as a requirement to have one and keep it on you all the time. Teenagers are a perfect example. I don’t know many who can be without their phone for just a few minutes. But it does afford their parents the benefit of knowing where their children are, which is why we’ve got these devices in the first place. A girl named Julia’s experience on 9/11 is the perfect example. When airliners hit the World Trade Center towers, her school in New York City had everyone stay in the basement to be safe. Julia was afraid and thinking back now realizes how comforting it would have been to have a cell phone to talk with her…