What Are We?: The Convergence of Self and Communications Technology

INTEGRATION AND UBIQUITY: TOWARDS A PHILOSOPHY OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS CONVERGENCE, Nyíri, Kristóf, ed., Vienna: Passagen Verlag, 2008

6 Pages Posted: 2 Nov 2008

See all articles by Mark B. Turner

Mark B. Turner

Case Western Reserve University - Department of Cognitive Science

Date Written: September 27, 2007

Abstract

The invention of each new communications technology has brought new opportunities for understanding the self by blending our vague, diffuse notions of self over time with our notion of self as a user of the technology. These technologies include semaphore signaling systems, signed language, telegraphy, personal letter writing, telephony, radio, television, e-mail, and chat rooms. We know our technologies better than we know ourselves. Our communications technologies are designed to operate at human scale and are therefore at the center of what we know best. Accordingly, we think of ourselves in terms of them, by blending our general concept of ourselves with our understanding of how the communications technology works.

Keywords: conceptual integration, blending, technology, identity, cognitive science

Suggested Citation

Turner, Mark B., What Are We?: The Convergence of Self and Communications Technology (September 27, 2007). INTEGRATION AND UBIQUITY: TOWARDS A PHILOSOPHY OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS CONVERGENCE, Nyíri, Kristóf, ed., Vienna: Passagen Verlag, 2008, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1293219

Mark B. Turner (Contact Author)

Case Western Reserve University - Department of Cognitive Science ( email )

10900 Euclid Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44106-7068
United States

HOME PAGE: http://markturner.org

Do you have negative results from your research you’d like to share?

Paper statistics

Downloads
564
Abstract Views
2,904
Rank
89,164
PlumX Metrics