What has happened to human relationships in a digital world? It’s now common rhetoric that the online world has irretrievably damaged the way people relate to each other — from high schoolers living on social media to political turmoil shaped by online algorithms.
But is the Internet the right scapegoat for our crises of loneliness and distrust? How can we repair our ruptured social bonds? Can we have healthy relationships without abandoning the Internet?
These questions are both ancient and modern; the technologies are new, while relational fracture is not. So the Octet Collaborative is drawing two scholars from both the ancient and modern traditions: a sociologist and a theologian. Sherry Turkle, Abby Rockefeller Mauzé Professor at MIT, brings her sociological and psychological expertise in the state of digital culture. Autumn Ridenour, Mockler Associate Professor at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, brings a deep knowledge of the Augustinian philosophical tradition.