Sherry Turkle

Sherry Turkle

Professor of Social Studies of Science and Technology, MIT

Sherry Turkle is an acclaimed sociologist and psychologist who studies the impact of digital technology on human relationships.

Expertise

sociology psychology digital media communication

Articles featuring Sherry Turkle

8 articles
Featured Analysis

The Performance of Authenticity: Can You Still Be Genuine Once You Know You're Being Watched?

70% of people feel pressured to present an idealized version of themselves online — but does performing your identity mean you've lost it? Sherry Turkle, Dan Schawbel, and Erving Goffman debate whether you can still be genuine once you know you're being watched.

Jun 18, 2026
Featured Analysis

The Monetization of Friendship: When Every Relationship Has a Price Tag, What Happens to Genuine Connection?

Influencer deals, referral codes, paid communities, and networking with an agenda — money has quietly crept into the space where friendship used to live. Sherry Turkle, Andrew Yang, and Seth Godin debate whether the monetization of relationships is corroding genuine human connection or simply reflecting a new economic reality.

Jun 10, 2026
Featured Analysis

The Algorithm Knows You Better Than You Do: Is Personalization a Gift or the End of Self-Discovery?

Your streaming service knows your taste better than your friends do — but is that a superpower or a trap? Yuval Noah Harari, David Lee, and Sherry Turkle debate whether algorithmic personalization is accelerating self-discovery or quietly replacing it.

Jun 04, 2026
Featured Analysis

The Collapse of Small Talk: Are We Becoming More Authentic — or Just More Insufferable?

"How's the weather?" may seem pointless — but is ditching small talk a sign of deeper human connection, or just a shortcut to making social situations unbearable? Susan Cain, Sherry Turkle, and Malcolm Gladwell debate what we lose and gain when we stop bothering with pleasantries.

Jun 02, 2026
Featured Analysis

The Attention Economy: Are We Freely Choosing Our Screens, or Are We Being Engineered to Stare?

With Big Tech designing products to maximize engagement at all costs, the debate over digital autonomy has become one of the defining ethical battles of our time.

May 25, 2026
Featured Analysis

Parenting in the Algorithm Age: Protecting Children Online or Raising a Generation of Anxiety?

With smartphones in every pocket and social media shaping identity from age ten, the debate over digital parenting has never carried higher stakes.

May 21, 2026
Featured Analysis

AI in the Workplace: Productivity Tool or the End of Professional Identity?

AI in the Workplace: Productivity Tool or the End of Professional Identity? In an era marked by rapid technological advancement, the deployment of art...

May 05, 2026
Featured Analysis

Is Social Media Making Us More Connected — or Just More Observed?

Is Social Media Making Us More Connected — or Just More Observed? In the era of instant communication and constant connectivity, a pressing question e...

May 05, 2026