The prediction, in brief:

If “acting out” is going to happen, MUDs are relatively safe places, since virtual promiscuity never causes pregnancy or disease. But it is also true that, taken by themselves, virtual communities will only sometimes facilitate psychological growth.

Predictor: Turkle, Sherry

Prediction, in context:

In her 1995 book “Life on the Screen,” Sherry Turkle – an accomplished social psychologist, sociologist and anthropologist from MIT whose studies centered around people and computers for decades – writes:”Taken by themselves, MUDs are highly evocative and provide much grist for the mill of a psychodynamic therapeutic process. If ‘acting out’ is going to happen, MUDs are relatively safe places, since virtual promiscuity never causes pregnancy or disease. But it is also true that, taken by themselves, virtual communities will only sometimes facilitate psychological growth.”

Biography:

Sherry Turkle was the author of “Life on the Screen: Computers and the Human Spirit.” and a professor of the psychology of science at MIT. (Research Scientist/Illuminator.)

Date of prediction: January 1, 1995

Topic of prediction: Community/Culture

Subtopic: MOOs/MUDs/B-Boards/Newsgroups

Name of publication: Life on the Screen (book)

Title, headline, chapter name: Chapter 7: Aspects of the Self

Quote Type: Direct quote

Page number or URL of document at time of study:
Page 208

This data was logged into the Elon/Pew Predictions Database by: Anderson, Janna Quitney