Machines That Become Us: The Social Context of Personal Communication Technology

Social critics and artifi cial intelligence experts have long prophesized that computers and robots would soon relegate humans to the dustbin of history. Many among the general population seem to have shared this fear of a dehumanized future. But how are people in the twenty-fi rst century actually reacting to the ever-expanding array of gadgets and networks at their disposal? Is computer anxiety a signifi cant problem, paralyzing and terrorizing millions, or are ever-proliferating numbers of gadgets being enthusiastically embraced? Machines that Become Us, now in paperback, explores the increasingly intimate relationship between people and their personal communication technologies.