Alone together or together alone?
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the human-machine relationship
The human experience is almost entirely linked to our ability to connect with the world around us. We’re physically, emotionally and psychologically wired to interact with other humans. It is a common perception that digital advancements to our social world embody a cynical
embodiment of a cynical perception of digital advancements to our social world: technology as catalysing social isolation.
However, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is important that we challenge her beliefs. With the world engulfed in lockdowns and isolation, boredom and loneliness were experienced more severely than ever before (Luchetti et al., 2020).
“We expect more from technology and less from each other” (Turkle, 2017). In times like this, we should.
During pre-pandemic days, 29% of UK users said social media negatively affected their mental wellbeing with the digital detox trend escalating in 2019 (Trifonova, 2020). Check out my other post for more information on this @https://anti-socialmedia.medium.com/slaves-to-our-socials-fe5caa833b82. According to Global Web Index (2020), under lockdown, 30% of internet users in the UK were concerned about worsening mental wellbeing; Gen Z were most worried about their mental health at 26%, experiencing higher levels of stress and anxiety. As a result, many turned to their devices to alleviate their apathy. As seen below, the majority of digital users and detoxers felt comforted with social media, reinforcing its role in combatting loneliness and anxiety during the outbreak. This is supported by Shah et al.’s (2020) medical research of digital’s technology’s role in lockdown loneliness. They concluded that online tools were key to reducing social and psychological risks during the pandemic.
However, in a recent virtual conversation, Turkle was questioned about whether technology has brought people together or further apart throughout the pandemic. Interestingly, the author remained consistent with her past ideas providing a dissenting answer, never openly admitting the sheer impact of the digital field in connecting individuals (American Academy of Arts & Sciences, 2020, 14:04), despite statistics suggesting otherwise.
The fear of infection and stay-at-home restrictions made physical interactions nearly impossible. Aspects of face-to-face dating have been forced to produce safer alternatives: sociable robots. Sound familiar? This echoes Turkle’s (2017) earlier discussions of using robotic companions as a risk free way to avoid being alone and catching COVID (Woodward, 2020). Since March 2020, the UK saw a 300% increase in demand for sexbots during the earlier stages of the pandemic (Merrifield, 2020). Therefore, contrary to Turkle’s viewpoint on technology, such inventions may not be as bad as it seems. (See https://anti-socialmedia.medium.com/robots-realities-and-relationships-66871dfbdc73 for more).
“Technology ties us up as much as it disconnects us” (Turkle, 2017, p.13). Truer words couldn’t be spoken. Supporting theories of digital media in bridging the gap to keep people connected comes from McLuhan’s (1962) ‘global village’ phenomenon. He argues that communication technologies in modern societies have allowed for increasing interconnectedness, establishing a sense of community. In addition, Laughey (2007) explains “electrical media have expanded our horizons…that we feel a vicarious intimacy with people… all over the world” (p.36). Technological compression has in fact brought us closer in the current situation, suggesting we are not lonely because of technology, we are lonely without it.
Technology: what Turkle feared to be the component that drives humanity apart is now seen as the sole factor able to reconnect us once again — together, alone.
References
American Academy of Arts & Sciences. (2020, July 16). Sherry Turkle: Technology and Empathy After COVID-19 [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DqjqcB9GjxA
Laughey, D. (2007). Key themes in media theory. McGraw-Hill Education.
Luchetti, M., Lee, J. H., Aschwanden, D., Sesker, A., Strickhouser, J. E., Terracciano, A., & Sutin, A. R. (2020). The trajectory of loneliness in response to COVID-19. American Psychologist. 75(7). 897–908.
McLuhan, M. (1962). The Gutenberg galaxy: The making of typographic man. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.
Merrifield, R. (2020, May 22). Coronavirus lockdown has seen demand for humanlike sex robots skyrocket, says firm. Mirror Online. https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/coronavirus-lockdown-seen-demand-human-22067701
Shah, S. G. S., Nogueras, D., van Woerden, H. C., & Kiparoglou, V. (2020). The COVID-19 Pandemic: A Pandemic of Lockdown Loneliness and the Role of Digital Technology. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 22(11), e22287.
Trifonova, V. (2020, August 4). How the outbreak has changed the way we use social media. Global Web Index. https://blog.globalwebindex.com/chart-of-the-week/social-media-amid-the-outbreak/
Turkle, S. (2017). Alone together : why we expect more from technology and less from each other. New York: Basic Books.
Woodward, S. (2020). Digisexuality, erotobotics and the future of intimacy. New Zealand Sociology, 35(2), 99.
