In the current issue of New Scientist (16th Sept. 2006), Sherry Turkle is interviewed. In reponse to the question “Is social networking changing the way people relate to each other?”, she has this to say:
For some people, things move from “I have a feeling, I want to call a friend” to “I want to feel something, I need to make a call”. In either case, what is not being cultivated is the ability to be alone and to manage and contain one’s emotions. When technology brings us to the point where we’re used to sharing our thoughts and feelings instantaneously, it can lead to a new dependence, sometimes to the extent that we need others in order to feel our feelings in the first place.
