Have you walked into a Starbucks, picked up your coffee, then turned around to see a room full of people who are totally silent and plugged into their digital devices? All of them in a virtual world? Turkle describes, “… new intimacies in solitude and new solitude in intimacies.” We are poised at “the robotic moment”…all of us. I agree, because I have felt it coming, as my school library disintegrates under my feet. I’ve been torn between learning new technology tools (digital content) and promoting literature appreciation (traditional librarianship). Rather than fear this moment, I continue my quest for a positive view for the future. Having witnessed revolutionary changes within the span of my career, I could easily cry, “the sky is falling!” But I’m not gonna.

Turkle’s warning should be heeded. But for my fellow “Pollyannas”– let’s keep smiling and believing in the good part of humanity.

Oh, but wait! I have kept my use of technology in a professional arena. I am active in a number of virtual worlds, but always as myself. I am still me- Valibrarian. My focus in virtual worlds is educational and, although I am aware of the psychological issues that arise, I do not take the time to address them. We can’t all be experts at everything! Turkle’s latest book gave me an idea. It seems there are three distinct ways to use technology as a personal identity: 1. As myself 2. As someone else and 3. As a non-human (a robot). Actually, there might be a fourth identity: a cyborg. Sherry Turkle has spent her career studying this topic. I haven’t even met a robot! I never had a pet Furby. So, I can agree with Turkle’s discussion of social media, the Internet, and virtual worlds. But, as for the role of robots in the future- well, I am out of my element (Donnie).