The Seventh Kingdom: Is Technology Addiction Real Jan. 2015 | Page 26

SHERRY TURKLE
It was stated by a psychologist during a ted conference that “technology takes us places we do
not want to go.” Customisation is trending and devices are seen more as accessories. People
only care about where they put their attention meaning, rather than listening through a whole talk,
or reading an entire bo ok, they can cho ose precisely what they want to listen to or read. As a
result, people are not developing themselves to their full potential. In addition, conversations are
no longer in real-time meaning people are able to falsely empathise with others.
We expect more from technology and less from others due to stronger relationships being
built with machines instead of people. This is because, with a device, we have the illusion of
companionship without the demands of a friendship. Would this be considered an addiction?
(Turkle, 2012)

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