The novel, Alone Together: Why We Expect More From Technology and Less From Each Other (2011), written by Sherry Turkle, presents many controversial opinions and demonstrates numerous examples of how technology both replace complex pieces and relationships in our lives. The book is slightly divided into two parts with the first focusing on social robots and their relationships with people. The second half is very different, focusing on the online world and its presence in society. Overall, Turkle makes many personally pleasant and unpleasant points in the book that unite it as a whole. For starters, Turkle vividly describes how robots are used as substitutes for other people or things and helps imagine robots in everyday life. As an example, My Real Baby was noted, which quickly turned into My Real Babysitter. My Real Babysitter was born from the idea that children are left alone too often and that it is sometimes difficult to find a babysitter in an emergency. This robotic babysitter would replace the human version, integrating into everyday life. The children explained that a robot babysitter wouldn't do much and that it wouldn't level the playing field between human and robot babysitters. Turkle concluded that children with lively, creative babysitters would prefer to keep their own, while children with boring babysitters would prefer the robot version. AIBO, a robotic dog, was also used as an example in the novel. In the case of eight-year-old Zara, she says that with a teddy bear you have to work to create thoughts and feelings, but, with AIBO, she already thinks what she wants and is expressing. Furthermore, if the robotic dog bothers you, ... middle of paper ... attacks our mobile devices, forcing us to be alone. Turkle says, “…the network prepares us for the ‘relationships with less’ that robots provide.” (p. 154). We are no longer connected based on how close we are to each other, but by how available our mobile devices are to us right now. We always have our mobile devices with us, so we think we are always connected. He says the device acts as a portal to being tethered to people and places. It goes further to describe how these mobile devices can symbolize themselves by marking themselves as alone. I definitely agree with this point. When I find myself in an awkward position in a crowded place, I immediately grab my phone and fiddle around hoping no one bothers me. It symbolizes my transition from the physical situation to the mobile and technological realm.