When I first got to MIT in 1978 Michael Dertouzos,

當我 1978 年第一次到麻省理工學院時，我參加了

who's the head of the laboratory for computer science held a meeting.

電腦科學實驗室負責人德托羅斯（Michael Dertouzos） 所舉行的一場研討會，

There was a several day retreat in Endicott House Conference center.

那研討會在 Endicott House 會議中心開了幾天，

In which he assembled the greatest minds

在那研討會，他邀集了當時

in computer science really at the time

電腦科學界最聰明的人們來，

to figure out the question of what people

一起弄清楚到底

might want to do with what was then called

人們會想要怎麼使用

home computers.

那個叫做家用電腦的東西。

The word personal computers really hadn't

當時個人電腦這個字

come into the lexicon yet.

事實上，還不算是個辭彙。

Now these were the first computers that

這些是第一批

you didn't have to build.

你無需組裝的電腦，

These were the first computers that you

這些是第一批

could actually buy.

你可以買下來的電腦。

And these great computer scientists got together

這些優秀的電腦科學家聚在那裡，

and I was invited to the meeting

而我被邀請參加那會議的原因是

because I had begun my studies of computers and people.

當時我已開始我關於電腦和人的研究，

They got together and they kind of gave it their best shot.

他們聚在一起，試著丟出最好的想法，

Somebody suggested the children might wanna learn to program,

有人建議，孩子們可能想學習程式設計，

listen to respectfully, maybe.

在座的人洗耳恭聽，「也許」。

Somebody suggested that we would want to put our

有人建議我們也許會想把

address books on computers and people laughed,

我們的地址簿放到電腦裡，然後在座的人笑了，

and said well actually paper and pencil, little books paper was perfect for that

他們說，嗯，紙、鉛筆、小本子才是最棒的，

because most people didn't have a data base,

因為當時大多數人並沒有資料庫，

they had a couple of names and addresses so that didn't make a lot of sense.

他們只有幾個姓名和地址，所以這派不上用場。

Some people suggested well a calendar and actually people said well no,

有些人建議放日曆進去，呃，大家都說不大好，

I don't like using the computer for my calendar.

我不喜歡把電腦作為日曆，

I really find the little Filofax is much better.

我真的覺得小小的 Filofax 萬用手冊要好用多了，

You can flip through it's much more practical.

你可以翻閱它，非常方便。

I tell this story because I think it's very important to know,

我講這個故事，因為我認為有一件重要的事是，

to remember that really not that long ago,

要記住，這真的不是很久以前的事。

we were trying to figure out how we would keep computers busy.

我們當時試著發掘到底該如何使電腦保持忙碌。

And you know, now we know that once we networked with each other.

你知道，現在我們知道了，一旦我們互相連結，

Once computers were our portal to being with each other,

一旦電腦成為讓我們互相連結的入口，

we really don't have to worry about keeping computers busy.

我們真的不用擔心如何使電腦忙碌；

They keep us busy.

它們使我們忙碌，

It's kind of as though we are their killer app.

這有點像......我們是它們的殺手級應用軟體。

So how does that work?

所以它怎麼做？

We're on our email, our games, our virtual worlds.

我們處理我們的電子郵件、我們的遊戲、我們的虛擬世界，

We text each other at family dinners, while we jog, while we drive,

我們在家庭晚餐時傳短訊、在我們慢跑時、在我們開車時，

we take our lives into our hands to do that

我們冒著生命危險做著這些事，

even with our kids in the back seat of the car.

甚至當我們的孩子坐在車後座的時候；

We text each other at funerals,

我們在葬禮中互傳短訊，

we go to the park and we push swings with one hand

我們去公園時只用一隻手推著鞦韆，

and we scroll through our messages with each other.

然後流覽彼此之間的訊息。

Lot of my research is observing families and you know, this is what I see.

我許多的研究是觀察家庭，你知道，這是我所看到的。

The children who I interview say that their parents read them Harry Potter again.

我採訪的孩子們跟我說， 他們的爸媽會不斷重念哈利波特，

With their right hand reading the book and the left hand scrolling through

因為他們右手拿著這本書讀，而左手

the messages on the Blackberry.

刷著黑莓機上的郵件。

Children describe that moment at school pickup.

孩子們描述家長在學校接送他們的那些時刻，

They'll never tell you that they care but they describe that moment

他們永遠不會告訴你，他們在乎這，但他們會描述那一刻

where they come out of school you know looking for that moment of eye contact

在他們走出學校，你知道的，逡巡目光接觸的那一刻，

and instead of that moment of eye contact with the parent

但那一刻，他們沒有獲得父母的目光，

who after all had shown up at school pickup

他們的爸媽呢，嗯，畢竟來到學校接孩子了，

that parent is looking at the iPhone looking at the smartphone and is reading mail.

但他們卻盯著自己的 iPhone，看著智慧手機，閱讀著郵件，

So from the moment this generation of children met technology,

所以，從這一代兒童面對科技的那一刻起，

it was a competition and now they've grown up and today's teenagers,

就處於一種競爭狀態。現在他們長大了，今天已成了青少年，

this generation of children who've grown up with technology being the competition,

這一代與科技爭寵的孩子大了，

they now have their turn to live in a culture of distraction.

現在，輪到他們活在一個分心的文化裡。

And what do they tell me?

而他們告訴我什麼呢？

They tell me they sleep with their cell phones.

他們告訴我，他們和自己的手機睡在一起。

They begin by saying, well I use it as an alarm clock,

他們一開始會說，我拿它作鬧鐘，

and then they come clean and they say well actually

然後他們招供，說，嗯，事實上

it's not just because I use it as an alarm clock.

我不只因為把它當拿來做鬧鐘而已，

They want to sleep with it just in case they get a message or they want to communicate

他們想和它睡在一起，因為他們如果得到一條訊息， 他們或許想要回應，

and then they say even when their phones are put away --

然後他們說，甚至當他們的電話不在手邊時，

let's say relegated to their school locker --

比如在學校更衣櫃裡，

they know when they have a message or a call,

當他們知道有一條消息或一通電話

they feel that, they can tell at long distance that they have a message or a call

他們覺得，他們在遠處 就可以感覺到有一條短訊或者一通未接電話。

they say they can just sense it.

他們說，他們就是可以感覺到。

Indeed adults as well as teens report that they feel their phones vibrating.

的確，成人和青少年們說，他們會察覺到他們電話的震動，

Even when they are not.

甚至連手機沒震動時也是。

This is a well known phenomenon, it's called the phantom ring.

這是一種眾所周知的現象，它被稱作幻鈴聲，

It's been reported all over.

到處都有這樣的報告。

When you take our phones away from us,

當你把我們的電話拿走時，

we become anxious, we become impossible, really.

我們變得焦慮不安，我們變得什麽事情都不能做，真的。

Modern technology has become like a phantom limb, it is so much a part of us.

現代科技已宛若幻肢，它是如此地成為了我們的一部分。

So what is the arc of the story that I want to tell?

所以這個故事延伸出的意義是什麼？

Only fifteen years ago looking at the early internet,

僅僅十五年前，看看早期的網路，

I felt an incredible sense of optimism.

我感到一種令人難以置信的樂觀。

I saw a place for identity experimentation

我看到一個身份實驗的地方，

I called it an identity workshop,

我把它稱為一種試驗各種自我的身份工作坊，

for trying out aspects of self that were hard to experiment with in the physical real

這是一種在真實世界中難以試驗的場域，

and all of this happens and all of this is still wondrous.

所有這一切都發生了，而且依舊奇妙無窮。

But what I didn't see coming, and I like to tell my students

但我當時沒預知到的是，我想告訴我的學生，

call me not prescient.

我並沒有先見之明，

What I didn't see coming and what we have now is that

我當時沒預知到我們現在所擁有的是

mobile connectivity, that world of devices always on and always on us,

行動連結—那通訊設備的世界永遠處於我們周遭。

would mean that we would be able basically to bail out of the physical real at anytime,

這意味著，我們基本上在任何時候，都能夠從真實世界抽身，

to go to all of the other places and spaces that we have available to us

去任何我們可以、並且想要

and that we would want to.

抵達的任何其他場所及空間。

One man I interviewed, who plays with his kids in the park

有一個我所採訪的對象，他和他的孩子在公園玩，

while he talks to his virtual mistress on iPhone, calls it the life mix.

同時呢，他和他虛擬的情婦在 iPhone 上通話，他說這是多元化生活。

So I guess you could say that what I'm talking about

所以，我猜你們可能會說，我在說著有關

are the perils of going from multitasking

從多工處理

to multi-lifing, the perils of the life mix.

向多元生活轉換過程中的危險性。

Technology proposes itself as the architect of our intimacies.

科技將它自己呈現為我們親密關係的創造者，

And these days there is no coyness about its aspiration

而這些年來，它熱切地、並且不再羞於

to substitute life on the screen for the other kind.

將我們的生活替換為另一種在螢幕上的生活。

Technology is seductive when its affordences meet our human vulnerabilities.

當科技的用途能夠滿足我們人類弱點的時候，它是誘人的。

And it turns out we are very vulnerable indeed.

而結果顯示，我們都很脆弱。

We are lonely but fearful of intimacy.

我們很孤獨，但畏懼親密關係。

Connectivity offers for many of us,

對多數人而言，網絡連結提供了

the illusion of companionship without the demands of friendship.

一種陪伴卻不尋求友誼的錯覺。

We can't get enough of each other -- if we can have each other at a distance

我們彼此是如此地需要對方—— 然而前提是，我們可以保持距離，

in amounts that we can control.

保持一種我們可以控制的距離。

Think of Goldilocks, not too close, not too far, just right.

想想《金髮女孩與三隻熊》的故事吧， 不太近，不太遠，就只是剛剛好。

Connection made to measure, that's the new promise.

可以衡量的連結，這是新的承諾。

The ability to hide from each other even as we are continually connected to each other.

即使在我們不斷地連接到彼此時，我們依然可以隱藏自己。

To put it too simply, we would rather text than talk.

簡單地說，我們寧願傳簡訊而不是交談。

Online connections bring so many bounties.

網路連結帶來許多收穫，

But our lives of continual connection also leave us vulnerable.

但我們持續連結的生活使我們脆弱。

Often we are too busy communicating to think.

我們常常太忙於交換訊息，以至於停止思考，

Too busy communicating to create,

太忙於交換訊息，以至於無法創造新事物，

too busy communicating to really connect

太忙於交換訊息，以至於無法真正地

with the people we're with in the ways that would really count.

與人們真實地連結彼此。

In continual contact, we're alone together.

在不間斷地的聯繫中，我們一起孤獨。

To paraphrase Thoreau, where do we live and what do we live for

套用梭羅的話，在這種新型緊密連結的生活中

in our new tethered lives

我們身處何處，又為何而活？

or in other words, what do we have, now that we have what we say we want,

換句話說，我們現在得到了什麼是我們說我們想要的？

now that we have what technology makes easy?

科技又因為什麽而讓我們可以感覺自如呢？

In corporations, among circles of teenage and adult friends,

在公司裡、在青少年和成年的朋友圈之間、

within academic departments, people readily admit that they would rather text

在學院系所裡，人們毫不猶豫地承認，他們會寧願發短訊

or send an email than talk face to face.

或寄電子郵件，而不是面對面交談。

Some who say I live my life on my blackberry,

那些宣稱「我活在我的黑莓手機裡」的人

are forthright about avoiding real-time commitment of a phone call.

他們直截了當地避免一通電話的即時承諾。

When you text, one young man says, you have more time to think about what you're writing

一個年輕人說，傳短訊時，你有更多的時間去斟酌要寫什麼。

on the telephone too much might show.

而講電話可能會透露太多。

Here we use technology to dial down human contact and there's that Goldilocks thing.

在這裡，我們使用科技來減少與人的接觸， 而這存在著《金髮女孩與三隻熊》所傳達的，

To titrate it's nature and extent.

要把與人接觸的本質和程度控制到剛剛好。

People are comforted by being in touch with a lot of people, whom they also keep at bay.

人們樂於和許朋友往來，同時，他們彼此也保持距離。

And we confront a paradox.

於是，我們面臨一個矛盾狀態，

We insist that our world is increasingly complex

我們堅定地認為，我們的世界變得越來越複雜

yet we've created a communication's culture

然而，我們創造了一個溝通文化

that has decreased the time available for us to sit and think,

這樣的溝通文化已減少了供我們坐下和思考的時間，

uninterrupted we've ramp up the volume and velocity of communication

它不間斷地加大我們溝通的音量和速度，

but we start to expect fast answers.

但我們開始期望快速的答案了。

And in order to get them we ask each other simpler questions,

爲了得到這些答案，我們彼此詢問較為簡單的問題，

we start to dumb down our communication,

我們開始簡化我們的溝通，

even on the most important matters.

即便在討論最重要的事項的時候也是如此。

Shakespeare might have said,

莎士比亞也許會說，

we are consumed with that which we are nourished by.

我們與那滋養過我們的一切，一同消殘。

This flood of connection affects the development of the self in many ways,

這宛如洪水般的網絡連結， 在許多方面，影響了自我的發展。

here I am just going to mention one of them.

在這裡，我只略述其中之一，

Let's call it, I share therefore I am.

讓我們這麼描述吧：我分享，所以我存在。

For so many I have studied, things go from I have a feeling, I want to make a call,

在我許多的研究案例中，這些分享的事， 從我的感覺、我想打通電話，

to I want to have a feeling, I need to send a text.

到我想擁有一份感覺，我必須傳送簡訊。

In other words the validation of a feeling becomes part of establishing it.

換句話說，驗證感知成為建立感知的一部份。

More than this, what is not being cultivated is the ability to be alone.

尤有甚者，那尚未培育的，是獨處的能力。

To gather oneself, there is a great psychological truth.

要控制自我，我們必須擁有很好的心理真相。

If we don't teach our children to be alone, they will only know how to be lonely.

如果我們不教我們的孩子如何獨處， 他們只會知道如何感到孤單。

For adult and child having gotten into the habit of constant connection,

對於那些已養成不停上網連結的習慣的成人和孩子們，

we risk losing our capacity for the kind of solitude that energizes and that restores.

他們有一種失去獨處能力的風險， 那樣的獨處能力得以使我們充滿、恢復能量。

So let me share some final thoughts.

所以，讓我分享一些最後的想法。

First about the metaphor of addiction, which we're too apt to use.

首先是關於成癮的比喻，這是我們太容易使用的隱喻，

And second, about the moment we're at and the promise it offers.

其次是關於我們目前所在的時刻、以及它所提供的承諾。

First, addiction.

首先，成癮。

People are compelled by that little red light on the blackberry

人們被迫依賴於黑莓機上的這小小紅光

that tells them a message is waiting.

來告訴他們那些正在等待中的訊息。

I ask them why,

我問他們為什麼，

and they talk about their mobile device as the place for hope in their life.

他們說手機如同他們生活中的希望，

The place where something new will come to them.

這是一個會給他們新東西的地方，

The place where loneliness can be defeated.

一個可以驅散寂寞的地方。

They say things like, the phone is where the sweetness is.

比如，他們說，手機是尋求甜美的所在。

We're vulnerable to the constant feelings of connection that technology offers.

我們受制於科技所給予持續的連結感覺。

We should focus on this vulnerability

我們應該專注於這個弱點，

because we can work on getting less vulnerable.

因為我們可以努力讓自己不那麼脆弱。

However apt, we can ill afford the metaphor of addiction.

儘管聽起來容易，我們卻不能承受那成癮的隱喻，

Because if you're addicted you have only one solution,

因為如果你上癮了，只有一個解決辦法，

you have to get rid of that substance.

那就是戒斷癮頭。

And we know that we are not going to get rid of the internet,

我們知道我們無法擺脫網路，

we are not going to get rid of social networking.

我們無法擺脫社群網路。

We will not go cold turkey or forbid cellphones to our children.

我們不能立即根除這習慣，也不能禁止我們的孩子使用手機，

These technologies are our current partners in the human adventure.

這些科技是我們當下人類冒險活動中的夥伴。

The notion of addiction with this one solution that we know we won't take,

對於這樣一個成癮的概念，我們知道，我們無法杜絕它，

makes us feel hopeless and passive.

這讓我們感到絕望而被動。

We sense something amiss and we're at a moment of opportunity.

我們發覺了科技所帶來的缺陷， 然而，我們也處於某種機遇之中，

Every technology provides an opportunity to ask,

每一種科技提供一個機遇，讓我們詢問：

does it serve our human purposes?

它對我們人類的目的有用處嗎？

A question that causes us to reconsider what these purposes are.

這個問題讓我重新思考這些目的為何。

Just because we grew up with the internet,

就因為我們伴隨著網路成長，

we assume that the internet is all grown up.

所以我們假定網路也長大了，

We tend to see what we have now as the technology in its maturity.

我們往往認為，既然現有的科技已成熟到某種程度，

That the way we live now with the internet

那麼，我們現在與網路生活在一起的方式

is how we're going to live with it in the future.

就等同於我們未來與它共處樣子。

And that's not true.

其實並不是這樣。

With the internet, it is very early days.

網路仍然處於一個非常早期的階段。

It is time to make the corrections and one hopeful place

現在是修正它的時候了，而一個可以期待的解決方式是

is to restart some conversations we allowed to get derailed.

重新開始一些讓我們能脫軌一下的對話。

To take as only one example,

讓我就談談一個例子。

we close down conversations and much to our detriment.

我們迴避交談，因這對我們不利，

By getting into performance mode on the network

卻透過社群網絡，

in both our personal and our professional lives.

使我們的個人和專業生活表現完善。

Personally there's been a tendency to use social networking to perform an ideal self.

許多人往往使用社群網絡來展示一個理想的自我。

Many people tell me they don't like to show flaws and vulnerabilities

很多人告訴我，他們不想顯示自己的缺陷、弱點、

or share bad news online with friends.

或在線上和朋友分享壞消息。

They say things like, it just doesn't seem like the place to talk about problems.

他們告訴我，網路不像是一個可以談論問題的地方。

Not even, as one woman put it, the death of my dog.

甚至，有個女受訪者說，她小狗死了， 她也不認為這是值得在網上談的事。

So certainly not about more serious problems.

可想而知，更嚴重的問題也不會存在於線上的。

So the more time we spend online,

於是，我們越是花時間在線上，

the more we keep a lot of things to ourselves.

我們越不願透露許多事，

Even as we think we're updating our status and updating our status,

即便我們以為，我們在線上更新了狀態、

and sharing ourselves with the world.

並和世界分享了自己。

But very often we're sharing what makes us look good.

但大多時候，我們所分享的 多半是那些讓我們看起來不錯的事。

We're sharing what's easy to share.

我們分享那些容易分享的事。

Professionally, we also perform in our emails and memos at work.

在專業領域中，我們也在電子郵件和備忘錄中試圖達到完美的表現。

Business people, lawyers, consultants tell me.

商務人士、 律師、 顧問們告訴我，

That in their work environments, they don't want to leave an electronic trace,

在他們的工作環境中，他們不願在電子資料往返中

of asking for help or admitting failures and frustrations.

留下自己那些尋求協助或承認失敗、挫折的事。