Sherry Turkle
From Free net encyclopedia
Sherry Turkle (born 1948) is a clinical psychologist and a professor of Science, Technology and Society at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Born in New York City, New York (USA) she has focused her research on psychoanalysis and culture and on the psychology of people's relationship with technology, especially computer technology and computer addiction.
In The Second Self Turkle uses mainly Jean Piaget's psychology discourse to discuss how children learn about computers, and how this affects their and our minds.
In Life on the Screen, she claims that misrepresenting oneself in a MUD may be therapeutic. As far as women and computers are concerned, Turkle points out women's "non-linear" approach to the technology, calling it "soft mastery" and "bricolage" (as opposed to the "hard mastery" of linear, abstract thinking and computer programming). She also considers the problems that arise when using MUDs. One problem that arises is that of the differentiation between real life and internet crimes that are committed. She questions the ferocity and dangers of online "rape" because of the different responses she has seen to the occurences. Another problem she talks about is what happens when underage children present themselves as people above the age of 18. This leads to the problem of adults having relationships with children posing as older people.
Turkle has been referred to as "cybershrink" by parts of the media.
Books
- Psychoanalytic Politics: Jacques Lacan and Freud's French Revolution (1978)
- The Second Self: Computers and the Human Spirit (1984)
- Life on the Screen: Identity in the Age of the Internet (1995) (paperback ISBN 0684833484)