Turkle spoke about the addictive nature of cell phones.
SPRINGFIELD - Sherry Turkle, author of “Alone Together: Why We Expect More from Technology and Less from Each Other,” said she hopes the next generation of parents is able to prioritize personal relationships over technology.
Sherry Turkle Turkle, a professor at MIT, was the speaker at Thursday’s Springfield Public Forum at Symphony Hall.
She tells the story of a 13-year-old talking to her father who tells him, “Stop googling. I don’t care what the right answer is.”
The current generation of parents is so enticed by technology that they cannot put it aside, Turkle said.
Another example she used was the large number of parents who think iPads and iPhones are suitable toys for 2-year-olds.
There is a world of “baby apps” available being marketed for two and 3-year-olds, she said.
“What about kids playing with stuff?” she asked. “What about kids needing to learn the feeling of the real world?”
Turkle added that cell phones and checking e-mail and social media websites can be addictive.
The average teen checks his text messages and e-mails every three to four minutes, Turkle said.
She added that the average adult checks his e-mail every five to six minutes.
The business model is to make the phone and social media so addictive that you never want to put it down, Turkle said.
Today’s high school and college students use their phones to text, avoiding telephone calls.
Students avoid telephone conversations, she said.
She said she has students at MIT who have told her they would prefer to have a conversation with her by e-mail instead of in person.
“When you have a conversation, you have to think on your feet,” Turkle said. “Teens are phobic about the telephone. They are not that good at talking.”
She said employers have told her they need to teach their young employees how to use the phone.
Turkle said she hopes the next generation of adults learns to put the new technology and social media into perspective so they prioritize other things such as playing and talking with their children.