Connected but Alone

Sherry Turkle explores the relationship between technology and the effect it has on our lives. She has written many articles on the topic related to cyberculture. I found this 'Connected but alone' talk interesting, I feel that she doesn't solely label technology and using mobile phones or the internet as a negative way to communicate, however that it should be used in moderation, and not be something which we are dependant upon.

I also read about Sherry Turkle's interest in 'MUD' (multi-user-domain) where people can construct an online identity which can become their 'reality'. Turkle studied the world of MUDs for her book 'Life on Screen.'  

Here's a section from the 'Wired' article below:

"What has she found? That the Internet links millions of people in new spaces that are changing the way we think and the way we form our communities. That we are moving from "a modernist culture of calculation toward a postmodernist culture of simulation." That life on the screen permits us to "project ourselves into our own dramas, dramas in which we are producer, director, and star.... Computer screens are the new location for our fantasies, both erotic and intellectual. We are using life on computer screens to become comfortable with new ways of thinking about evolution, relationships, sexuality, politics, and identity."

(http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/4.01/turkle.html)