relational-artifacts
Objects like Furbies that present themselves as having their own needs and inner lives, inviting reciprocal emotional relationships rather than passive projection.
6 chapters across 2 books
Alone Together: Why We Expect More from Technology and Less from Each Other (2011)Sherry Turkle
Chapter 2 explores children's interactions with Furbies, sociable robotic toys that blur the lines between machine and living creature by requiring care, teaching, and emotional engagement. The chapter details how children attribute biological and emotional qualities to Furbies, treating them as kin and partners in reciprocal relationships, which challenges traditional notions of dolls and machines. This dynamic illustrates a shift from projection onto objects to genuine engagement with relational artifacts that present themselves as having needs and intentions.
Chapter 3, "True Companions," explores the complex relationships humans form with technological artifacts, particularly robots like AIBO, highlighting how people, especially children, simultaneously perceive these machines as both objects and social beings. The chapter draws on psychoanalytic theories, social construction of technology, and empirical studies to argue that relational artifacts engage users on moral and emotional levels, challenging traditional distinctions between persons and things. It also touches on futuristic ideas of human-machine integration and the ethical implications of these evolving bonds.
The Second Self (1984)Sherry Turkle
This chapter explores children's interactions with Furbies, sociable robotic toys that blur the lines between machine and living creature. Children treat Furbies as alive enough to require care, teaching, and emotional engagement, which challenges their understanding of biology and machinery. The chapter highlights how Furbies, unlike traditional dolls, demand reciprocal relationships and foster a new psychology of engagement rather than mere projection.
This chapter explores the ambiguous boundary between life and machine through the example of the Furby, a robotic toy that exhibits behaviors prompting users to attribute it with a form of aliveness. It discusses how people, especially children, oscillate between treating such artifacts as objects and as living beings, highlighting the psychological and cultural implications of human-robot relationships. The chapter also references theoretical frameworks and cultural responses that illuminate how sociable machines challenge traditional notions of consciousness, emotion, and identity.
Chapter 3, "True Companions," explores the complex relationships between humans and technological artifacts, particularly relational robots like AIBO. Drawing on psychoanalytic theory, sociology of technology, and empirical studies, Turkle examines how children and adults perceive and interact with robots as both machines and social beings, highlighting the moral and emotional dimensions of these interactions. The chapter also touches on futuristic ideas of human-machine integration and the ethical implications of treating machines as companions.
Chapter 6 of Sherry Turkle's "The Second Self" explores the complex relationships between humans, especially the elderly, and sociable robots like Paro, highlighting both the therapeutic potential and the tensions around autonomy and dependence. The chapter discusses the demographic challenges driving the development of care robots, the psychological and social dynamics involved in human-robot interactions, and the broader implications for identity, caregiving, and emotional labor in a technological context.